


Through the Veil

by theoneandonlylittlebird



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Ensemble Cast, F/M, Romance, Rumbelle Secret Santa 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 17:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 47,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8925250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoneandonlylittlebird/pseuds/theoneandonlylittlebird
Summary: To prevent Rumple from being consumed by darkness again, Belle takes on the curse of the Dark One. Set in season 5A, Belle must face her choices as she tries to save Rumple's life.





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the-roseknight](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the-roseknight).



> For my wonderful Rumbelle Secret Santa giftee the-roseknight who prompted: a role reversal. To say this got out of hand is a bit of an understatement. But I LOVED being your Santa!!! That plan for somewhere between 5-15k words? Right out the window because of your amazing prompt and our conversations. To my delight, you are a multi-shipper so I got to push myself outside what I normally would write for a Rumbelle fic. Can I say how wonderful that was? So many juicy perspectives to consider and include. I got swept away in the joy of this project and I hope I did what you had in mind justice! Hugs, my dear Knight, and Merry Rumbelle Christmas!

So still.

Rumplestiltskin, nightmare of generations, lay unmoving on the floor. Helpless, probably dying. Fine grey hair spread out, feather-like, in a halo around his head. Belle stroked his temple lightly.

"Hold on Rumple, I will figure this out. Whatever it takes."

Murmuring drifted by from the back of the shop where Emma had taken the Apprentice but Belle would not have heard the details if they had been shouted, engrossed as she was, kneeling by her husband's body. He was warm at least, and he was breathing. 

Belle marveled again at how a man with a heart blackened by centuries of darkness had the silkiest hair she had ever touched. Almost like a baby's hair. How could this softness exist on a creature such as him? How could a heart strangled nearly to death by darkness love so deeply as to kindle true love with in it? Yet he did. That heart used the last of its strength to protect his love.

A study in contradictions, her mystery lay motionless, slipping away from her. The Apprentice had preserved him, whatever that meant, but she felt he could go at any moment. Belle wanted to cry out, but no sobs would come. She rocked wordlessly while she stroked his hair.

Emma exploded through the curtain and made to step over Rumple.

"Hey! Help me with him! I can't just leave him like this," Belle insisted.

"Oh, of course Belle, I'm sorry." Emma spared her a genuinely sympathetic look. Belle kicked off her heels and looped one of Rumple's arms around her shoulder while Emma did the same. Even slight as he was, Belle and Emma struggled to half drag Rumple to an arm chair opposite the cot where the Apprentice had been situated.

"I gotta go find this darkness, Belle, can you stay with them?"

"Of course, thanks Emma." Belle nodded her appreciation. Before she could drape and afghan over Rumple, the shop's bell jangled over the door and she was alone with two of the most powerful sorcerers in history, both of them dying.

That was when the tears started. She looked from one slack face to the other and great wracking sobs choked her while hot tears streamed from her eyes and nose. They made soft splats on the fabric of his suit as she tucked the blanket around Rumple.

His pocket square was missing. Had he worn one today? Where was it? A silly detail to worry about in a time like this, Belle knew, but she did not care. Belle whirled around searching the floor. There, on the rug, discarded and forgotten. No longer neatly folded, it looked more a smear of its former self, clearly trodden upon in the commotion. Belle knelt to retrieve it.

The bit of silk felt cool as it whispered against her fingers. A defiant voice in her mind hurled its rage in denial of the present. Their marriage could not end this way. They were true love. This could not be happening. And she missed him. His voice did not rumble in her ear that he was there, that it would be alright, that he loved her.

Belle pressed her face into the silk heedless of her tears. It still smelled like him. How long would that last after he was gone?

The darkness had claimed so many lives, sewn so much destruction and chaos. It had destroyed her love. Now it was loose in the world.

If she had not sent Rumple over the town line, could he have avoided this outcome? How had he managed to protect his heart until now? Had she caused this? Was he dying now because she had banished him instead of choosing the harder road, the more reprehensible option of controlling him with the dagger until he saw reason? If she had worked just a little harder on him, could she have prevented all of this?

Belle wanted to throw up at the thought of having to control Rumple indefinitely to keep him from killing people. That was not a marriage. Banishing him had seemed like the kinder of the two options, but the decision had been hasty. Had there been a third option she just could not see yet?

Not that it made any difference now. Two people were dying because of her choice and it could be more before even the night was through, never mind the long-term consequences of loosing the darkness on the world.

Belle stuffed the damp square of silk into a pocket and crawled the few feet back to Rumple, too spent to bother getting up to walk. She plopped down where she could lean against the chair with her forehead resting on his thigh.

The moments ticked away on Rumple's many noisy clocks and the Apprentice remained insensible and unmoving. Belle imagined the two newest burial mounds in the Storybrooke Cemetery: fresh earth, bitter rain, a father buried next to his son and a little way off, a sorcerer's headstone with no name at all emblazoned on it. She was alone, of course, no one else had stayed past the functional necessity of putting the bodies in the ground.

Belle jerked herself from pointless, useless, revery and felt fingers in her hair when she did so.

"Rumple?" Belle cried and her eyes flew to his face, only to find him unconscious as ever.

His hand hung bonelessly suspended above her head where it drooped off the armrest. She had bumped her head against it herself, he had not stroked her hair in comfort and love.

That hand might never again hold hers surreptitiously in the checkout line at the grocery store or graze her cheek before he kissed her hello upon returning home. Belle shifted on the floor beside his chair, clutched his fingers and leaned her forehead against the limp digits. His body heat kept the gold of his ring warm and she twisted it around and around on his finger.

"Rumple, please hang on, come back to me. I love you. You have to be strong while I figure out how to help you-"

A gust of wind slapped her on the back and she tumbled forward into the chair. Belle scrambled to face the wind, but it was not wind.

The darkness, twisting and thrashing its oily tentacles had paused in the doorway. Greasy appendages flicked one way and then the other. Belle realized it was choosing a victim, now that no one of consequence was present to oppose it. The indecision lasted but a brief moment before the darkness surged into the room filling her vision with slashing black cords of night as it stabbed them into Rumple's chest.

"No!" Belle howled at it, "I won't let you have him!"

The brave thing, do it now!

Belle launched all five feet two inches of her person at the darkness and yanked on the first tendril she could catch. The howling of wind and shrieking voices deafened Belle. Her other hand caught another black spire and she pulled with all her might away from Rumple. The cloud of whipping cords engulfed her and she dug her stocking-footed heels into the floor. Anything to get it away from Rumple.

Belle wished fervently she had the power to stop this, to save him. She had never been the hero she dreamed of and-

A thick midnight spear impaled her through the heart silencing her thoughts and paralyzing her utterly. She could see nothing but swirling dark. Then the darkness rushed inward through the conduit piercing her chest. Every blood vessel in her body shrieked in agony as darkness boiled through her. Her terrified shriek never reached her own ears before blackness drowned her.

***

Regina ran after Emma catching the pawn shop door on the rebound to slam it open anew. She paid no mind to the sound of shattering knickknacks in her wake. Robin, Hook, the Charmings and Henry were not far behind and she and Emma dashed toward the back room.

The place had been ravaged. Broken bits of bric-a-brac covered the floor in splinters and shards and the only light came from the streetlights outside.

Her gaze flicked from one dying sorcerer to the other. One was awake, and it was not Rumple, but Regina let herself give him a lingering look. Even after everything, seeing her former teacher in this state caused a pang or two. She could admit that much.

"Did you see what happened?" Emma had not spared so much as a glance in Rumple's direction and she knelt now by the Apprentice with a face full of concern.

"A brave woman saved the man she loved from being consumed by the darkness," the Apprentice told her.

Regina's breath caught in her throat.

"What?" Emma looked around at Rumple briefly before focusing again on the sorcerer.

Emma's sweater felt damp and very warm from their recent exertion when Regina placed a hand on her shoulder. "Emma, look."

By this time, everyone had crowded in behind them around the Apprentices bedside.

All eyes settled on the blade which Emma had in hand resting on the cot.

It had a new name: Belle.

"Belle's the new Dark One?" Henry's voice cracked around the thought he voiced for everyone.

Regina felt her heart squeeze, not for the young woman now pitched into the void of darkness, but for her son who was growing up much faster than he should have had to. Her hand tightened convulsively on Emma's shoulder.

"Grandma wouldn't want to be the Dark One. What do we do?" Henry continued.

The Apprentice focused on Henry, "The mission remains the same. But your chances are better now because of Belle's light."

"Ok," Emma asserted, standing, "Dark One, I summon thee."

Nothing.

"Belle, Belle, Belle." Emma tried again.

Still nothing.

The Apprentice shook his head weakly, "No, no, she is where all darkness is born, in your realm."

He looked Regina in the eye.

"Can you take us there?" Henry asked.

"I cannot, I am too weak. But this, wielded as it was made, with the light and the darkness, can. Find Merlin." A wand covered in twisted vine-like carvings fell to the rug from his slack hand. Regina's eyes darted back to his face, still breathing, but dying.

She scooped the wand from the floor and turned to face everyone.

"I owe Belle for-" she swallowed, cutting herself off, "for more than I care to say. I am going to find her and free her from the darkness so we can destroy it. Is anyone else coming?"

"I am," Emma said instantly.

"Me," Henry piped up.

"No."

"No."

Both Regina and Emma spoke at once.

"You're not leaving me behind. I want to help Grandma and I deserve the chance to see where I come from. Please, Moms! I can help! Don't leave me behind." Henry implored.

It was hard to say no to her son. Regina caught Emma's eyes and the both nodded at the same time. Regina said, "But you do as we say, this is dangerous and we can't have you eaten by an ogre because you're curious."

"If you're going, Swan, so am I."

"Obviously," Robin snaked his hand into hers and she returned his gentle squeeze.

All eyes fell on the Charmings, David spoke, "We care for Belle, but our son needs us and someone has to keep an eye on Zelena, not to mention the rest of the town while you're gone."

"We'll watch over Rumple too," Mary Margaret added, though her lips twisted in a doubtful frown.

"Alright," Regina said decisively, "Everyone pack a bag and meet in front of the library tomorrow morning."

Dawn reflected pink on the windows of the library. As the minutes passed, the high wispy clouds left their streaks of fire across the sky in brilliant red and then orange.

Regina leaned on Robin and he rocked them both as they watched the sunrise.

She whispered, "One day we'll watch this sunrise together and we won't be waiting to chase the latest monster. Darkness won't threaten our family and it will be just the two of us with the whole day ahead to spend with one another."

Robin pressed kisses into her hair, "No somedays Regina, right now, this moment. I love you in this moment and we are together, watching this sunrise. I am happy right now."

Turning in his arms, Regina stared at the morning light in his gaze. He had the sky in his eyes.

Regina stretched up for a kiss and found it warmly returned.

When they broke apart Regina rested her head on his chest and looked down the street past the hardware store and the Rabbit Hole in the direction of the Marina. There, silhouetted by the morning sun, she saw Henry walking alone about two blocks away. But then she understood, a little further on, sunlight glanced off the metal of a hook and Regina averted her gaze from her friend's own tender moment.

Emma smirked as she approached and scanned Regina head to toe.

"What's so funny? Did I mix polkadots with plaid?"

"No, Regina," Emma's eyes twinkled in the dawn, "it's just that the sensible jeans, boots and a cozy sweater are my bag."

Regina cracked a grin then, seeing that indeed she and Emma had dressed alike. Henry chuckled and so did Robin, who had kept a hold of her waist.

Regina said, "We should be leaving."

"Not without me, your majesty." 

"Leroy? What are you doing here?" Regina let her exasperation be plain in her voice.

"What do you think? Belle's my friend and I'm coming to help her." The dwarf stuck out his fuzzy chin at her.

"Whatever. Emma, you have the dagger?"

"Got it," Emma pulled the knife from her jacket pocket and the fiery light of the sun set it ablaze around the black letters of Belle's name. "But Regina, I've been thinking. I'm not sure we should seek Belle out right away. We might want to get help from Merlin first, if we can."

"You think she might not be on board?"

"Rumplestiltskin was once a poor, cowardly spinner," Hook pointed out bluntly. "Belle has a lot more gumption."

"Where'd you learn that word, guyliner?" Regina smirked but went on over his irritated protestations, "Emma, you may be right. We should have a plan before we bring her in on it. The first thing Belle's going to do is try to get ahold of her situation, so she'll be holed up in a library somewhere for a little while at least."

"Makes sense," Emma said as she soothed Hook's ruffled feathers, "where do you suggest we go?"

"My place. No sense in being uncomfortable. Besides, we have our own research to do. We have to find Merlin." Regina withdrew the wand from her inner pocket.

"You've worked out how to do this?" Emma queried.

"How we do things best. Together." Regina looked fondly at Henry, then extended her hand to Emma as she stepped from Robin's embrace.

Emma met her gaze and accepted her hand. They stepped away from the little group. Emma's hand felt warm and solid. Any trepidation Regina felt about the mission melted away in her friend's confident eyes.

"Ready?" Emma asked.

"Ready. You think of the mission and I will direct the spell." Regina felt a surge of heat coming from Emma's hand the moment she stopped speaking and comforting light flooded her senses. For her part, Regina thought of Rumple first appearing to her in her bedroom all those years ago and the familiar cold solidity of dark magic flowed into the wand to meet Emma's answering power.

Blue lightening leapt from the end of the wand and Regina's front door appeared in the middle of Main Street.

Regina squeezed Emma's hand and felt an answering squeeze before she lowered the wand.

"That's our ride. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everyone's comfort I did not tag the minor pairings for this story in the tags, but here they are so you know!  
> OutlawQueen  
> SwanQueen  
> CaptainSwan  
> Snowing  
> I really enjoyed trying write this as if each of these was my OTP. What a challenge! I don't know if I succeeded, but what a ride it has been.


	2. Act II

It did not smell the way she remembered. The forest had a sharp tang to the damp, mossy, green scent she was accustomed to. It reminded her faintly of blood. Leaves no longer rustled, they ground against one another grating and harsh. So loud! And the light, it too cut in around the leaves to stab at the undergrowth instead of the golden softness seeping downward that deep forest used to have.

And she saw all of this through a black lace veil. A corset held her rigidly upright though heavy ebony skirts dragged at her hips. Even the loosely draped black wool shawl seemed more an extra layer of suffocation than the comfort clothing it should have been. Stiff, black leather gloves encased her hands.

"Well this is awkward!" A familiar voice trilled, piercing in to her sensitive ears, and Belle whirled to face it. Instead of a swish, the fabric of her skirts gave a mighty scraping noise over the metal plate she stood on. 

Upon seeing him Belle dashed toward Rumple to fling herself at him. Uncaring of the veil, she kissed him while her arms clamped around him like steel cables. The lace bit into her lips but Belle did not want to pull away.

And he kissed her back. But the kiss was not warm and tender. It was devouring, though their tongues could not cross the lace boundary.

Trembling all over, Belle pulled back enough to stroke his scaled face with her glove. "You're awake!"

"If you had told me getting you to embrace me would be this easy, I'd never have believed it!" No warmth, there was no warmth in his smile. Then she really saw him: scales, rotten teeth, spiraling uncontrolled hair, purulent eyes. "Yes," he drew out the word as he watched her process, "I'm not awake, or rather he's not."

"What?" Belle took a hasty step out of his arms and wrapped her own around her middle.

"If you could only see yourself right now!" He giggled, "Oh wait, y'can."

A mirror shimmered into existence in his hand and Belle could not look away. In place of eyes the color of a late afternoon sky in summer, black, pus injected onyx stared back at her. Golden scales had replaced her pale complexion and cracked, blackening teeth had supplanted her brilliant smile with a menacing snarl. The veil hid none of this.

When silence was the only reply the imp received to his expectant expression he said, "Well, whatcha think?"

She watched her reptilian eyes fill with tears as she remembered how she had ended up here. Belle whispered, "Oh, Rumple."

"Small detail, I'm not him. Can't say I minded being kissed like I was, though."

"Which makes you who, or what, exactly?" Belle bit back, ignoring the part about kissing.

"I think you know," he pointed at her, "but I'll enjoy telling you anyway. I am the Dark One's powers inside you, and all the Dark Ones. Rumplestiltskin is but one of many. I'll be the voice in your head, your guide as you learn, now that you have embraced your power. Of course, I can be inside you in other ways as well."

The Dark One's eyes glittered at her and he ran a claw down the lacing of her bodice.

"Who said I was going to embrace this power?" Belle swatted his hand away defiantly.

"You already have, of course! By kissing me, wanting me, or did you forget? You fell in love with the man and the beast. You loved me long before now. But now, I can feel it!" The Dark One seized her by the waist and pulled her flush against his body.

"I love Rumple. You were just the parasite consuming his heart." Belle shoved his chest and he stepped back.

The being before her was not her husband. He could not be. But he had been a part of her husband. Was it possible that the Dark One could love?

What was she thinking? Belle jerked another step back in alarm. She was the Dark One now. She was talking to some figment of her power, some ancient being made of darkness bound to her in the deepest way imaginable and she had actually pondered whether it could love her. Whether she loved it. 

She had considered how the darkness might have twisted Rumple away from the light during her time with him in the Dark Castle. More recently, Belle had blamed him for not fighting harder against the corruption. But now, the depth of the darkness's persuasive ability had just become startlingly apparent. How would she distinguish fact from ploy with this creature? How had Rumple done it? Had he ever? Even her own thoughts now seemed suspect.

"I don't know what you're after, but you won't get it with me. I will save my husband in spite of you." Belle stalked off with her hands on her hips.

He appeared in front of her, huge eyes full of sadness, imploring, "By why not with me? You've already accepted the power, just think, you have access to all my centuries of knowledge, my ability to teach you everything you need to know. Love isn't a requirement for that, but it could be a part. The best part. It's me, Belle. Surely you see that. A part of you must recognize me."

The Dark One pleaded. He pleaded. Fear and denial boiled up in Belle.

"You say I have accepted the power. I haven't. And I don't accept that I love you either."

"You did see yourself in the mirror, did you not? Whether or not you meant to accept the power, you did. Back in my shop, you tried to keep me from returning to Rumplestiltskin, tried to save him from me. Maybe you did not reach out to me initially because you wanted power, but when you gave up hope of succeeding in saving him without it, of course, then I could take you. And now the transaction is complete because you kissed me. You want me."

"I only kissed you because I thought you were him and I was fooled. That's not the same as true acceptance." Belle argued trying to keep the desperation from her voice.

"I'm the Dark One, trickery's what I do. How it came to pass does not erase the fact that it did come to pass."

"You know what? I don't have time for this. And I don't care about what you want or your feelings, so you can keep both to yourself. The only sensible thing you've said is that I need to know more about being the Dark One. That is true. If you're not going to be helpful, I'll just ignore you and figure it out on my own." Anger edged out the terror just enough for her to snarl at him and stomp away. Not that she knew where she was going.

His malevolent smirk reappeared right in her face and she all but stumbled into him. He purred, "That works for me. So what's your first evil plan?"

"Saving Rumple. Not evil." Belle spat at him.

"If you say so. It'll be a long walk back to Storybrooke from here, what do you say we retire to someplace more comfortable, useful, in the mean time?" The Dark One tapped his fingers together in front of his impish grin.

Though every fiber in her being protested this, Belle knew she was in a bind. Short of someone stabbing her through the heart, the best end to this she could hope for was True Love's Kiss and that meant Rumple. Necessity was a stinking, warty beast with fangs and bad breath and utterly unavoidable, unignorable. She wanted none of it, but options were slim indeed. Resourceful, her mother had always taught her to make good use of tools around her. In this case, even a reprehensible tool was better than nothing at all.

She may have to live with the power, but she did not have to blacken her own heart. Nothing required her to become dark, evil.

And the truth was that the tool looked at her with the eyes of her beloved.

"Let's start with where we are. Do you know?"

"But of course! Down there," he pointed and his voice dropped to a whisper, "Is the Vault of the Dark One, our wellspring. I'm surprised you didn't recognize it. You've been here before."

Belle blinked. She had. Her lip trembled at the memory of Rumple emerging in gooey black slime from the bitter depths of death. The way he had looked at her- No. Stop. That did not help.

"It looks different without the veneer of snow, terror and death."

"Indeed it does. Summer lends a lovely disguise. Next question." Patient glee. There had to be a way to have done with him. "There isn't. Until someone has done with you."

The smug imp answered her thoughts. Belle took a deep breath and blew it out.

"No need, I know my way from here to the Dark Castle. Rumple made me a library and I have reading to do." Belle brushed past him on her way out of her clearing.

He was beside her in a second, of course, "You're not going to waste all the time it takes to walk there are you? I thought you were in a hurry."

"I suppose you have a suggestion." She simply could not let her irritation get the best of her, that would lead to mistakes. Costly mistakes.

"Tell me you've never wanted to go poof and I'll show you a lie."

"Right. Fine. How does it work?" She knew there was no escaping this. She knew there would be a price, but Rumple had to come first.

"Imagine a warm fire in a stone hearth and the smell of books. Picture it clearly: the feeling of home and-"

Belle blinked and she was in her library in the Dark Castle.

"Very good! Might I suggest you start with healing and restoration? Between you and me, he didn't look too good when we left."

"And if I do as you suggest will you leave me alone to read?"

"Dealing already! A very promising start indeed. Very well, enjoy!" And he was gone.

Belle sucked in a ragged breath and sank to her knees in front of the fire. Alone at last, tears prickled her eyes, but she refused to waste precious time she probably did not have on despair. She was his only hope. And he hers.

Belle searched her memory for where to start and a heavy tome appeared in her lap. At another thought the pages flipped open to what she had intended to read.

But the veil of black lace was distracting and coming between her and her reading. Belle snatched it off her head and threw it aside.

From somewhere deep in the castle, his mocking laughter echoed then went silent.

***

"Nice place, Mom!" Henry surveyed the sweeping silver spires and rolling gardens nestled in their wooded mountainside. The air smelled fresher than anything Henry could remember and he inhaled greedy lungfuls. The warmth of the day brought the pungent moss and fir scent to a vibrant prominence.

His mother Regina smiled, "It is good to be home. Henry, I always wanted you to see this. Of course the circumstances are sub-ideal, but what can I say."

She shimmered into a high collared silver and blue gown with her hair piled on top of her head.

"Really, Regina?" Emma chided her.

"There are certain expectations to meet. Nothing's stopping you from doing the same." Regina's eyes twinkled and she squeezed Henry's shoulder. "Now let's go see what we can dig up about Merlin."

Henry could not help the rush of satisfaction he felt seeing his mother in her element the way he had imagined her from the storybook. She looked regal, elegant and completely at home set against the backdrop of her castle. Being right felt good.

He did catch Hook rolling his eyes behind Regina's back though. Henry could not catch what he whispered in Emma's ear, but she gave him a fond smile.

It had been hours and Henry knew he should be tearing through books at the rate of everyone else, but his gaze kept wandering to the stone walls with their tapestries and mirrors everywhere. The urge to explore had him kicking his feet under the table.

Leroy startled him from his distraction though, "I found a reference to Merlin. Seems the guy helped people out. It doesn't say what happened to him, but someone complained and put a date on it. From some noble with lands burned by the Dark One. The noble begged Merlin to help, and there's a drawn map indicating the lands burned. Then there's whining to the crown about not being able to pay taxes because Merlin never showed, no crops, no money, that kind of thing."

"What kind of book is that?" Henry asked, coming to look over Leroy's shoulder.

"It reads like a pile of grocery store receipts with Yelp reviews, but I guess it's a history book dating back more than a thousand years of every magic related deal this kingdom has ever struck. Most of the reviews are the buyer beware kind. It gives advice on who kept deals and which ones went south. Pretty much, deals benefit the person with magic and screw everyone else. There's loads on Rumplestiltskin. I knew he was bad news, but what I never realized was just how gullible nobles are. Sorry, Regina, no offense."

"None taken, you're right, most nobles are easily manipulated. Let me see the map, does it indicate what got burned? If we can find where Merlin was supposed to be when he went missing, we might be able to go there and find other records from this time." Regina took the book from Leroy. "The names aren't familiar, but they're a thousand years old. We don't have many maps left from that long ago. Damn." 

Regina frowned.

To Henry, the map looked like some rough squiggles and not much else.

Emma came to stand behind Regina, "But maybe we don't need a really old map, unless the geographic features of this realm have changed that much over time? If we can find a similar area on a modern map, we might be able to figure it out."

"That will be a lot of work, but it's definitely a place to start. Maps are kept just off the War Room."

Emma smirked and made a snatching motion over the page. A copy shimmered into existence, "Savior's Copy and Print, for all your stone-age office support needs."

Hook choked on a laugh and Regina glowered. Henry smiled, "Cool, mom, make me one too."

She did.

In the end, Hook, unsurprisingly good with cryptic and inadequate maps, found the most convincing facsimile of the features they were looking for.

"That's Camelot, today, whatever it was then."

"As in, I fart in thy general direction?

"Emma?!" Regina seemed genuinely affronted. His mother must have been busy that particular pizza night.

Hook looked aghast but Henry could no longer hold back the guffaw and choked on his giggles.

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes at Regina and Hook, "When we get back, movie night, mandatory attendance."

"Good one, mom." Henry continued to grin.

"Camelot, as in Arthur and knights and stuff, that's here?" Emma persisted.

"Yes of course, I have an extradition treaty against your parents with them."

"Regina!"

"Don't worry, I'll rescind it. But yes, of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"I just never saw mention of it in the book. I thought the book pretty much covered your realm."

"There are lots of books," Henry piped up, feeling useful.

"Of course," Emma mumbled, "So where is it and how long will it take us to get there."

"Practically no time at all. I can poof us all there right now, but I wouldn't mind a good night's sleep in my own bed, which I haven't had in three decades." Regina replied.

"And dinner," Robin suggested.

"Good call, mate," Hook agreed.

"So tomorrow we'll go to Camelot and see if we can figure out what happened to our errant sorcerer." Emma stated and received nods around the room.

***

She had rejected thirteen different spells and mid morning had progressed all the way to late evening. Night would be official very soon. Nothing. Nothing she thought would work anyway. Springy spirals of her hair had come loose from the tightly controlled bun she had been wearing when she emerged from the wellspring.

A particularly inflamed thought had caused every horizontal surface in the library to sport burning candles, but the room simply would not come to brightness after the sun had retired. Not that dim lighting had any deleterious effect on her reading, but Belle did not like the darkness pressing in around her. It reminded her of her predicament in an all too tangible manner.

And still, she was nowhere. All these hours of effort and she had not found a single spell, or even combination of spells, that she thought would restore Rumple. Broken arms, burns, severed limbs, no problem, a wave of the hand would do it. She could have healed him after a heart attack, if he had indigestion or if he had an infestation. There was a whole book devoted to magical infestations even. And none of it seemed to apply to giving the strength to restore him to the man he had once been.

Belle yanked at the pins and cord restraining her hand to rub furiously at her scalp. A distant giggle startled her but was gone in an instant. She did not want to know what the Dark One was up to. Kinky spirals exploded from her head in all directions now; she must look a sight. And yet that suited her mood so she left her hair to do what it would. She had precisely no one to impress anyway.

She needed help. If only she could ask Rumple, not the Dark One, Rumple. If she could ask him, his creative mind would shift and sort hundreds of years worth of spell-craft into just what she needed. Belle knew the spell had to fit the problem and she was growing increasingly convinced that no existing spell copied out of someone else's spell book would do the job. This spell had to be suited to the purpose. Made specifically for Rumple and his current plight.

Without centuries of practice in spell-craft, Belle did not want Rumple to suffer her very first attempt. Gambling with his very life scared her as much as losing him by doing nothing.

Of course there was always the Dark One. He had everything she needed, the knowledge and experience both.

A whimper escaped her. She could not trust him and in all likelihood, he was nudging her thoughts in his direction at every opportunity.

Bad enough that she could not help Rumple without use of the Dark One's powers she now possessed, Belle knew that the danger of truly giving in and becoming the Dark One fully lay only one misstep away. One wrong thought that led to the wrong action would make her truly accept that she was the Dark One.

A misstep. Her eyes widened. At first all her senses had been so acute as to be painful. But that had stopped the second she had kissed the Dark One. Panic threatened to take hold of her.

She knew what he had said to her that morning, but Belle also knew that the darkness did not yet hold sway over her heart. She had triggered the mechanism which gave her access to the power and let it become a part of her. But there was another level of acceptance required before she would be truly lost.

If Belle ever decided that being the Dark One was acceptable to her, something she wanted, there would be no return from that baleful eventuality.

So Belle clung to that shred of hope. She did not want to be the Dark One, no matter what she had to do in the mean time to heal Rumple.

Nervous tears of sheer anxiety escaped her eyes. If only she could know that he was not already dead, lost to her. She needed hope. She needed to reach for the light that lived in him.

The inversion of their positions did not escape Belle now as she thought of her husbands tears when he begged her not to send him away. She knew now how acutely he had needed her light, as now she needed his with a desperation more powerful than any thirst she had ever known.

And she did not even have a way to know if he was alright. She needed him.

"Couldn't help but overhear your distress. And since you're not reading anymore, our deal is complete."

The violent urge to kill burned through Belle and she pinned the Dark One by the neck against the mantle of the fireplace.

He faked a choking sound, then grinned appallingly at her.

"Nice try, and I love the passion. Keep up the good work!" 

Belle released him, herself coughing on the bile of hatred surging up from her belly.

"But, that's not a very nice way to treat the help." He paced confidently in front of her, tossing his hands back and forth as he spoke, "You are oh, so worried about your beloved. You wish you could talk to him. You miss him. You need him. I can help, if you let me."

Belle ground her teeth but said nothing. She seethed at him still, finding it difficult to let go of her rage.

"I'm the closest thing you have to your twoo-wuv, ya know." He spun gracefully on his dancer's feet to look coyly back over his shoulder at her, "But you don't want me and much as hit hurts, I can accept that. For now. However," he drew out the word, "I can help you with the next best thing to me."

Belle did not bother to stifle the sigh, "What will it cost me?"

"Cost, well that's all relative of course. I guess in this case the cost is simply having to acknowledge that I can be helpful. Is that a price you're willing to pay?" He batted his eyelashes at her. Insufferable.

"I suppose I only have to pay that if you are actually helpful. Which I find hard to believe."

"Very well, I will prove it to you. You say you need dear old Rumple's help? Why don't you seek out the heart of his work. Could be, interesting. Hmmm?"

"His tower. Of course." Belle did not even hesitate before she disappeared.

Thankfully, the Dark One did not immediately follow her and she was left alone in Rumple's workspace for the time being. Belle felt her mind begin to clear and the reasoning for what had frustrated her earlier now seemed more obvious.

Of course she would not find the spell to restore an ex-Dark One to the man he was before thereby healing his fragile heart in a spell book. As with cooking, an innovation could not be found in a cookbook. It came from the chef and not the reference material. That understood, building blocks and basic knowledge most definitely could be found in books. The rest was up to her.

So, Belle wandered slowly around the tower looking for inspiration. Her hours of reading had been anything but a waste of time. Belle now had a solid foundation in the history of healing spells and even understood the rudimentary differences between healing with dark magic and healing with light magic. The fundamental elements of the craft littered around his space now jumped out at her as familiar and understood whereas before they had been a source of trepidation and unease. No longer the maid, Belle began assembling ingredients and clearing spaces for her work.

Belle snapped her fingers and the book, open to the diagram depicting the glassware setup needed for potion chemistry, appeared. Another snap and the glassware itself sat before her, clean and ready. As a maid, Rumple's lab had seemed a jumbled mess, but now looking at it through the lens of understanding, an elegant organization became readily apparent.

For the time being, Belle gave herself the tour picking up anything that struck her as potentially useful for her upcoming task. True, the lab had suffered much under the force of the curse and she imagined much, likely most, of Rumple's collection had gone with them to Storybrooke, but repairing cracked mortars and broken glassware posed no difficulty to her now. Oddly, Belle found herself cleaning as she had longed to do as his maid, only now with enough knowledge not to hurt herself.

An hour later found the room clear of dust and the freshness of the summer darkness wafted in through the open window. Candles burning everywhere gave the room plenty of light and Belle stood before the assembled ingredients.

"Ok Rumple, how do I do this? I know this has to be personalized to you. That means I need something of yours. All of this is yours. But I need something symbolic of the task at hand that is meaningful to you. What could that be?" Rumple talked to himself all the time, what was the harm if Belle did? Maybe he was on to something with that. No need to feel self-conscious about it.

Belle turned in a slow circle looking around the clean lab. He had taken most of what mattered with him. But not everything. He had told her the shawl was all of Baelfire he had left, but Belle knew that he had had more of Baelfire's clothing and his toys here. That meant that other meaningful objects could be here as well. Even the one that would perfectly fit her needs. If she could figure out what that was and then find it.

Something of his past, something of the man he was, some kind of evidence of the strength she knew was in his heart. If only he would believe it too.

Belle moved to a set of large cabinets opposite her. She had cleaned the open spaces, but what of the things he kept put away, out of sight? Some reminders might be there, the kind a Dark One might not want to look at every day but could not bear to throw out.

Or maybe not quite what she had hoped. The cabinet primarily held spell ingredients, neatly sorted and alphabetical, if she was identifying them properly. Who knew Rumple was so fussy? It had certainly not been obvious to her as a maid. But there, at the back and out of the way was a dried flower that was out of order with the other specimens.

Upon retrieving it, a coil of lacing snagged on a thorn and fell to the floor. Her breath caught. She recognized the lacing as hers. And the flower was a rose. A gift he had given her, perhaps the first given out of love.

Holding the flower, she flashed back to the moment he had bestowed it.

"If you'll have it?" His shy look, his elegant bow. Yes, that was the moment she had been certain that she was not alone in her feelings.

That gave Belle an idea. She might not yet know how to heal him, but this rose was a link to him. A link she very badly wanted to strengthen.

Belle pocketed the lace and was surprised to find something already in her pocket. His pocket square. With the dried rose safely on the workbench, Belle gave herself a moment to just inhale his scent as it clung to this bit of silk. She missed him.

The rose itself was no longer much to look at. Vibrant red petals had withered to a rust, dried and fragile. The once green stem had blackened and shrunk into a brittle twig. Even so, it called to her. Something about his gift to her... he had offered her his love that day, tentative and newborn, unsure. And she had accepted it, with hope and not a little joy. He had offered and she had accepted. This rose was something to both of them. It was a connection.

To the right of her workspace, Belle had left his viewing orb alone. It could not show her what was not in this world, so what good was it? But now, with a connection to him powered by their true love...

She might not be able to see him, but perhaps she could check on him anyway.

Belle reached deep with in her for the love she felt for Rumple. It bubbled up though her like a spring bringing water from deep in the ground. With the rose held gently by the stem in one hand, she lay the fingertips of her other hand on the viewing orb.

Belle thought of Rumple, picturing him how she had last seen him, wilted as a heat-ruined salad in that chair. She poured her longing to know how he was and her sadness at their separation into the rose.

The flash of light shot through her closed eyelids as she felt the spell coalesce into being.

The heady perfume of the rose drifted to her nose and she opened her eyes. In place of the desiccated and dusty memory of a flower, her fingers held a vibrant blossom in full bloom with green leaves still clinging to their verdant shoot. The waxy looking thorns glistened in the candle light and the petals themselves shimmered and sparkled.

And she could feel something, like a faint heartbeat.

"Oh, Rumple!" Belle cried aloud. "Rumple, I'm here. You have to hang on. Don't give up, I will find a way. Listen to my voice, hear me. I love you and I'm coming for you. I promise!"

Was it her imagination or did the speed of the heartbeats increase just a little at her voice?

Jubilant with her first triumph, Belle waved a hand and a glass bell-jar appeared in front of her. At a snap, the rose floated suspended with in it.

Now she knew, could feel and see, that he still lived.

A place to start.

Relaxing a little, Belle let her cheek rest against the glass in her arms and enjoyed the vague pulsatile rhythm of his heart. Small victory though it might be, she would relish any triumph amid the chaos of the last few days. Something had to go right, it just had to. She closed her eyes and clung and rocked and cherished his heartbeats against the glass.

A fatigue she had been ignoring all day pushed itself to the surface. It was not the fatigue after a long day of work, or after an exertion. It was an emotional fatigue. Belle took the rose jar with her to a settee beneath the open tower window. With it wrapped securely in her arms, Belle looked up at the stars. Above her she saw patterns she had not seen since their last sojourn in this realm just after his death.

She did not want to associate what used to be her home with Rumple being dead or dying, but the pattern had already begun to form in her mind. It would not be the first time Belle considered what life might have been like for them if they had left Storybrooke and its troubles behind to live in solitude here in the Dark Castle after their marriage. For all the tumultuousness surrounding her arrival here, Belle had happy memories of falling in love in this castle. She wished they could have hidden away from the world, just the two of them, to make love and drink tea together for the rest of their days. 

Belle set the rose on a side table and closed her eyes. It was late enough to justify going to bed and here was as good a place as any. She settled the light blanket at her feet over herself and tried to relax into slumber.

And failed miserably. For several hours.

When she opened her eyes again, having given up, she gave a start at his nearness.

The Dark One had her in his arms and he peered intently at her. Only when she opened her eyes and acknowledged him could she then feel his arms around her. Strange. Familiar. She knew what it felt like to be held by these arms and she knew the eyes that bore into hers almost better than her own.

Then she realized that while he had not done away with his scales, he was using Rumple's human brown eyes instead of his own reptilian ones.

Why had she not moved away? Why had he not said anything?

She could not call his expression tender, but solemn, yes. His finger stroked her cheekbone gently and he said softly, at last, "You won't be able to sleep. Dark Ones don't need sleep. But I will hold you any time you ask. Always."

"I don't recall asking." She frowned at him.

"You did not have to do so out loud. I can feel what you want and I am all to happy to oblige." Rumple's voice and seemingly his words, but the lack of human warmth kept her from mistaking the identity of the being holding her.

"My private desires are just that. Private."

"And yet you haven't moved away from me." A claw traced along her temple through her hair. He used to do that. Just without the claw.

"Call it a mistake I should remedy shortly, but I have been working all day and I don't want to get up." A terrible excuse and she knew it. Belle needed to shove him away, to stop accepting fake comfort from this truly evil being, but that was the problem, she was comfortable and there was something familiar about him. Something she recognized of Rumple's in his essence. It horrified her to even consider that he might have been right, that she might have loved even the Dark One within Rumple.

She sighed and closed her eyes again. Her thoughts were entirely suspect, probably manipulated toward the Dark One's motives but what could she do? How would she ever know her feelings from those tampered with by his aims? She could feel warmth from his scaly palm against her cheek and when warm lips brushed hers and then massaged her closed mouth she knew she was in trouble. It took all of her willpower not to open to him and respond as her heart accelerated its rhythm in her chest in automatic response to his kissing her the way he knew she liked to be kissed.

Could this being actually have been a part of what she loved in Rumple?

Was it possible?

His nose stroked her face like Rumple did.

Why did he want this from her?

What could he possibly get out of this?

"Stop." She said, finding her voice at last.

Belle opened her eyes to find the Dark One's eyes dilated wide and a look of frustrated disappointment clear on his features. He shifted his hips against her making his frustration even more apparent. It seemed he almost squirmed in discomfort against his tight leather pants. But that could not possibly be real discomfort.

Could it?

"Why? Tell me why you want this. No lies, no misdirection. Tell me."

"I want what all people do, same as you, same as Rumplestiltskin does." Rumple's warm brown eyes stared back at her, heavily lidded. The Dark One flicked his tongue out to swipe at her bottom lip, close as they were. "It may seem incredible to you, but no one until you has fallen in love with someone already the Dark One. Just you. So yes, I want as all people want. The touch of a lover, the sweet tension and release. And the prize of all prizes, love. I want that too."

He stared straight into her eyes.

"And what would you get out of it, if I were to allow this between us?" Belle's gut tightened in disgust as she considered the possibility. She could not do this thing. She could not.

"Nothing. I don't get anything. No increase in power, no greater control over you, no further influence on the world around us. I get nothing. Except your love. I get to experience love as I have not for many centuries." His voice held nothing of its usual flamboyance, nothing of teasing, mocking or theatrics. It was a firm, level voice stating facts.

Unable to allow herself to process thoroughly what he had just said, she latched onto a part she could query, "You loved? How is that possible?"

"I still love, actually. You, but also, another. When I became the Dark One, I was in love. As in love as you and your Rumplestiltskin are. But that was centuries ago. But you don't need to take my word for it. Feel it for yourself." His hand massaged the back of her scalp in slow circles.

And Belle suddenly became aware of his feelings. The Dark One had feelings. Belle's mind rebelled against what she was sensing, it had to be a trick. But there, faint and dim, Belle felt the echo of a heartbreak. A deep and massive heartbreak. And it had nothing to do with herself or Rumple. It was for someone else though she could not quite figure out who.

"Yes," he purred softly leaning his forehead against hers, "I have suffered and you recognize those feelings as you have also had them yourself. Born of power I may be, but a person I am now. Believe it or not. Though I think you do, because you love me as surely as you do that soft spinner who lays dying in an armchair so far away from us." He kissed her closed mouth again and then continued, "I am more than I once was. When I became tethered to the blade, to a human being, I changed that human being, but I was also changed. I have awareness because of the long centuries of experience and knowledge of my human hosts. You could say they have rubbed off on me, given me form I would not otherwise have had."

He leaned his scaled forehead against hers and Belle shut her eyes involuntarily, "I am very real, even if the circumstances surrounding my birth are unlike those of others."

Feeling decidedly foggy, Belle tried to sort through the whirling emotions and information the Dark One had just given her. She could sense his feelings, could tug at his memories if not see much more than their surfaces: images of Rumple and a young boy living in a thatch-roofed hut, the feel of straw becoming slick gold under his fingers, other images of people and places she did not recognize. 

She settled on a set of memories of herself. The Dark One had felt everything from vague discomfort at Rumple's burgeoning feelings for her to abject terror when they had kissed. But after that, after he had successfully avoided being destroyed at her hands, something else happened. The Dark One adjusted to Rumple's feelings and became seemingly possessive of her himself. The Dark One considered her his, a part of him through Rumplestiltskin then, and now, directly his.

Belle did not think that was love. The Dark One did not seem to harbor tenderness the way she felt it for Rumple, but the protective possessiveness was unmistakable. And she understood why the Dark One would think this was love when coupled with his memories of Rumple's feelings for her.

Those memories? Those feelings? Seeing them from this new perspective made tears spring up in Belle's closed eyes. The Dark One remembered Rumple's feelings for her and now sought to act on them.

The surreality of deeply knowing Rumple's feelings for her in this manner made her choke on a sob.

At this, the Dark One pressed his lips to hers again and kissed her softly while he stroked her back. Belle did not move against his lips. She could feel the Dark One drawing on Rumple's emotions, as if they were a surrogate for what was missing in him. But now Belle could feel the difference, with this intimate connection now open between them.

What truly startled Belle was the sudden understanding that even though the Dark One seemingly could not love on his own, he could want to. The Dark One wanted to love her as Rumple did.

How close to the genuine article was that desire to love? What separated his use of past memories coupled with his desire to love her as if he were in fact Rumple from actual love.

A startlingly slender distinction, one she could have easily missed.

Finally, Belle pulled away.

"I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Belle, just kiss me." He leaned toward her again but she caught his chest with her hand to stop him.

"I can feel that you want me and I believe you. But even if I wanted to, I could not return your feelings."

He pulled back from her with an exaggerated frown, "Why-ever not?"

"Because I am in love with someone else, and I am married to him. I do not wish to love you or anyone but him." 

Belle began to extricate herself from his arms, but he held her tightly. Through clenched teeth he said, "How do you still not see that I am a part of the man you just told me you love, are married to?"

"You were a part of him. A hitchhiker, as I said before. And now, more than ever, my heart longs for him. It does not long for you. I know that you know that I have every intention of destroying you as soon as I have the opportunity." With that she scrambled off the settee and out of his arms.

He appeared standing opposite her, "You're a practical woman, Belle, so I know you'll hear me when I say that plan doesn't make any sense. You can be the hero you always wanted to be now. Together we can slay the monsters and banish the beasts of the world. No more being relegated to research, sitting on the sidelines, left behind, not picked for adventures. No more feeling useless. Your dreams are within reach. I know what is in your heart and I can help you get there. You say you do not wish to love me, but I suspect that your heart will tell you otherwise, sooner or later. Until then, I shall be patient." He smirked at her with a flourish of his hands.

Belle blew out a noisy breath, this would grow tiresome, quickly.

"Look here," the Dark One leaned toward her conspiratorially, "you need dear old Rumple's help to engineer a spell to save him. But what if I told you that he'd already done half the work for you?"

Belle blinked. Then she decided her best defense was to use him toward her end goals in order to expedite his departure from her life, from existence if she could possibly manage it. "If you told me that, I would ask why you did not mention it hours ago."

"I did. I suggested you start with healing and restoration spells. You did not ask any follow up questions. Your fault, not mine." The pleased smirk and nasally whine did nothing to make his being right more bearable. She had opted not to use his help when she could have saved herself hours of toil. "But since you asked so," he paused gesticulating, "nicely."

The Dark One pointed to the shelves housing Rumple's notebooks. "Third one from the left, second shelf." Belle brushed by him en route and he watched her from narrowed eyes, "Dear old Rumple, after hundreds of years elapsed, thought to turn his son back into the boy he had been when they parted, should he ever actually find him. So sentimental, and so misguided. But now, useful to you. Page thirty-two."

Rumple had a truly elegant hand with a quill, and Belle caressed the script covered page. She missed him, the real him, not the off-color facsimile peering over her shoulder and standing too close.

"So nicely written," the Dark One piped in her ear.

"Did you teach him to read and write?" Belle asked suddenly remembering that her Rumple had been a destitute spinner and likely had no formal education.

"Why yes I did, and I did a very good job of it too, wouldn't you say?"

Belle nodded honestly fingering the careful and neat penmanship. She read over the description of the spell and the necessary ingredients. "This would be perfect if I wanted to make him fourteen again."

"Well do you? I didn't think you had such an interest, but if you do we can work it out."

"Eh-ck! No. That would probably be more your department than mine." Belle wrinkled her nose in disgust and read over the spell again. "I'm not sure what to do with this."

He laughed, "I did say half the work, didn't I? It's not like he was planning to need a spell for himself. You're very smart; I have every confidence! Read it again, dearie."

Belle resisted the impulse to elbow him in the gut for standing too close, but, determined not to waste any more time, she reread the spell.

It called for something the person owned at the desired age. But she had no intention of changing Rumple's age and this spell would destroy any memories made after that age. How would this help?

The Dark One's breath tickled her neck and that was the final straw.

"I need you to quit breathing down my neck so I can think. Literally. Go sit down, or something." Belle snapped at him.

The Dark One reappeared on the settee with legs crossed, back straight and hands resting precisely atop his bent knee. He was smiling at her again with that knowing little quirk of his grey lips. He said nothing though.

Belle reread the spell and thought about the other healing spells she had read. They consisted of typically a list of various herbs depending on the part of the body in question and some symbolic ingredients important to the intent of the spell.

The footnote to this spell read: "Shawl, made by his mother from thread spun by his father."

Something the Apprentice said returned to her then. Something about it being a difficult journey back to the man he was before. She would need something of his before he became the Dark One, something meaningful. Representative of the man he had been.

Belle's lips parted and she moved to the workbench to begin taking notes. She would need herbs that would make the heart strong and the thoughts clear. She would need something of his. And she would need something representing her own intentions in casting the spell.

The last ingredient was the first to become obvious. She retrieved the lace he had saved from her days as a maid. She meant to care for him with the strength and belief of their love and finding her lace with the rose among his keepsakes in his private space represented her promise to him and his love for her. It was a physical testament to the birth of their love. 

The vegetal components came together easily enough after the copious reading she had done this afternoon so about an hour later, Belle had reasoned through and written her ratios and binding agents into the spell.

That left the matter of the spell's anchor, the thing of Rumple's from when he was only a man. An ordinary man.

Belle would never be able to think of Rumple as anything other than remarkable, no matter that she now possessed what had given him distinction before. He would always be amazing to her. A heart full of darkness which had nurtured true love. Nothing short of awe inspiring.

The Dark One had not moved a muscle for the entirety of her travail.

She turned to him now, committed to use the resources at hand and not waste Rumple's life on her own fear.

"You know what I need. Where can I find it?"

"Marvelous!" The Dark One sprang to his feet and clapped his hands together, "I know just the thing." When she approached he whispered, "I am so very glad you asked!"

They reappeared in the great room. It looked much as it had when she and Baelfire had last been here. A mess.

Baelfire! And Belle knew exactly what she needed.

At the far wall it lay half buried under broken glass, casements and detritus, but it was still there. She dashed across the room and picked up his walking staff, the one Baelfire had held and lovingly run his fingers over the notches in the otherwise smooth wood. Papa had measured his growth.

Belle did not think there could be a more perfect object to give Rumple strength from the best parts of his former self: his love and sacrifice for his son. Before the curse, Rumple had, if Baelfire was any indication, been a wonderful parent. And being Baelfire's father had meant everything to him. Exactly what she needed.

The wood had dried out over the years of lying here on the floor since the curse. Worn smooth from his hand, only the oils from his skin had ever offered it conditioning. The wood was unfinished by other oils or varnish. It came to her then, the proper binding agent for her spell ingredients: bee's wax. From her snooping, she knew precisely where he had some.

Belle spent the next two hours grinding the medicinals she had selected, distilling them with a small snip of her lace through the steamy glassware into a shimmering oil and finally kneading the oil into the bee's wax chunk she had found. Now the soft wax lump between her palms glowed warmly, smooth and pliant and ready.

The next step she debated about. There were two possibilities for how to polish his staff. She could melt the wax with a suspension agent so she could apply it with a cloth, or she could just rub the staff directly with the wax in her palm now and let her magic do the work of evenly distributing the potion contents.

The Dark One had spent all this time lounging on the settee watching her as if she were a bird at a window feeder and he a cat.

Belle opted, in the end, for the first of the options. The rose looked strong still so she thought that doing the work by hand would produce the more potent effect. This way she could pour all of her loving thoughts into the work and the taint of dark magic could be minimized. If she had had access to light magic, she might have made the other choice.

Belle tore a small swath of cloth from one of her old dresses where it hung in the corner of the dungeon, her room. He had made it for her, she thought, so it suited her purposes well.

With the wax melted and ready she glared at the Dark One on her settee. He gave her a pained scowl but he vacated without verbal complaint. Belle took his place and began the work of rubbing the potion into the thirsty wood.

When dawn arrived the freshly polished wood shone and sparkled in the early light. It was beautiful.

"Congratulations on your first enchantment. Not easy to do!" Her unshakable companion startled Belle from her revery.

She stood and stretched. Then it occurred to her. It had been more than a day since she had last had any food, at all. It was obvious she did not need it, immortal as she was, but Belle did not want to be sustained by magic, did not want to lose any more of her humanity than she already had to the darkness.

She thought of the kitchens where she used to prepare their meals. More than thirty years ago. Nothing left to eat there. How much of the village had the Curse taken? Was there even a village there anymore?

Great, either use magic to get food or use magic to not need food. Which was worse?

"While you're worried about preserving your precious humanity, have you thought about how you're going to get back to the man you love? It took him a few hundred years to pull off what you need to figure out in, let's just say, a few days, for sake of argument." The thing grinning at her with Rumple's mouth was all teeth and no warmth.

Belle opened and closed her mouth. It had been in the back of her mind, but with the looming deadline brought into the unforgiving clarity of day, Belle began to feel distinctly overwhelmed.

Did that leaf on the rose droop just a little bit?

She snatched the rose into her lap and curled around it wanting to feel his heartbeat. Still there, slow, but steady. "Rumple, I can heal you. I just have to get to you."

***

Robin drifted back to wakefulness when the first rays of light touched his eyelids and he inhaled deeply. Waking up with Regina in his arms brought Robin a sense of peace he had never thought to find again since Marian. It still felt unreal, borrowed somehow, as if every moment with her were on loan to them. He supposed that had been true with Marian as well, but he had not noticed it probably because the unthinkable had not yet come to pass.

So Robin appreciated the moment, reveling in the warmth and softness of her sleeping body against his, loving the spicy musk of magic that clung lightly to her scent, enjoying just being with her. They did not have to get up yet so he was loath to wake her even though he wanted to make love. His Regina did not get a lot of peaceful moments of repose so it would not be him that took this one away from her.

Instead he opened his eyes and watched the changing colors of the sky outside through the open balcony doors. Summer here did have its pleasures, even if the sun came up earlier than was convenient or kind.

Robin's reminiscence did not last long, though, as his queen stirred and rolled to face him. She had a dusting of sleep clinging to the corners of her eyes and vivid red lines from a wrinkle in her pillow. Her dark hair streamed away from her head like a disturbance on a lake at night. He knew he wanted to wake like this for the rest of his days.

Her eyelids squeezed tightly together, then opened slowly.

Permission enough. Robin kissed her crown softly and whispered, "Good morning."

She smiled and arched in a lazy stretch. "Hey."

She held his eye contact until they drifted together naturally in a kiss. She tasted of early morning and he felt certain he was in no better case so when the kiss reached its natural conclusion, he began to kiss elsewhere, along her cheekbones and over to her ear. Her hands came around his back stroking him through his night shirt.

Their next moments went by with soft touches and quiet wet sounds punctuated by the birds calling to each other in the gathering light. Afterwards he returned her tender smile with one of his own.

"While I would rather stay in bed with you all day, we have a wizard to find and a Dark One to squelch. Much as I wish it weren't so."

"I won't tell Belle you intend on squelching her." Robin teased. "I'll cook this morning."

Conversation around the breakfast table in the kitchens, Robin noticed, comprised primarily of telling Emma and Henry stories of Enchanted Forest exploits from times long past. Hook, colorful as always received more than one stern look from Regina when he began discussing the goings on in a particular tavern and Emma had to elbow him to keep him from explaining to Henry how one paid for something other than beer.

He had had the grace to look embarrassed, carried away in the memory as he had been.

"The cook on the eggs is perfection, Robin, I see why Regina keeps you around," Hook smiled across the table at him in an attempt to divert attention from his faux-pas.

Young Henry, for his part, had to be reminded to eat for all he focused much more on the regaling of his elders than his food.

Robin knew this warm moment had drawn to a close when Emma caught Regina's eye over the plate of hash-browns and their smiles faded. Poor Leroy had a forkful of his third helping nearly in his open mouth when it and all the rest of the dishes disappeared at the clack of Regina's snapping fingers.

"Hey!" he squawked at considerable volume- when did he do otherwise? "I still had at least six bites to go, Your Majesty!"

"You'll live." Regina informed him with finality, then she addressed the group. "I have no idea what kind of reception we will encounter in Camelot as I never visited personally, back then. I was too busy with your parents." Regina gave Emma sheepish look but went on quickly, "I would just as soon not advertise that I am the Evil Queen, could get awkward."

"Were the Evil Queen," Robin emphasized, interrupting.

"Was the Evil Queen. We'll need to have our story straight. Emma, as the daughter of Snow and Charming, you'll take the lead. We are on a mission to destroy the Dark One for good and we are looking for Merlin's help. Simple is best, no need to elaborate about our back stories. Meet back here in, half an hour?"

Nods all around the table preceded the disbursal of the group.

Robin took Regina's hand as they returned to their rooms, "Who you are now is obvious to everyone now. We'll just convince anyone who looks at you sideways to have a different opinion." He smiled and she returned a nervous, half hearted one of her own, "I'll be right here and I know who you are."

"I love you," she said quietly.

"And I you."

What had been the farm a thousand years ago looked largely overgrown and neglected. It was not that it had been abandoned for the forest to retake, but in summer, more weeds grew than crops and broken equipment rusted under consuming vines. The manner house had been reduced to a pile of heavily scavenged rubble and a crude farmhouse had been constructed off to the side with a thatch roof sorely in need of repair.

It seemed that Camelot had known better days.

"What a dump," Regina muttered looking around.

Robin frowned but said nothing. He did not know what hardships had befallen these people.

"As good a place to begin as any," Regina suggested, addressing everyone, and she started for the ramshackle farmhouse.

Emma kicked awkwardly at her skirts as she caught up to Regina and Robin caught Hook's eye. The two men smirked knowingly. Poor Emma had never wandered the outer provinces in skirts. She made a poor, if amusing, job of it.

"Why am I taking the lead again? What do I even say to these people?" Emma asked furtively.

Robin was probably the only one to overhear the Savior's discomfiture and see Regina's indulgent smile. "Just be yourself, Emma, you're a princess, improvise."

"Thanks for nothing." Emma grumbled.

"You'll be fine. The truth, or some of it, is easier to keep straight than any story we might concoct so stick to it. Everyone's afraid of the Dark One so they'll probably be very helpful just to get rid of us."

"Right." Emma did not sound convinced.

But she knocked confidently on the rickety wooden door anyway.

An old woman answered, "He's collecting taxes by goon squad now? You can tell bloody King Arthur that until he picks up a hoe himself, he can choke on dirt for all I care."

She slammed the door.

"No, ma'am, wait! We're not hear about taxes!" Emma pleaded, trailing off at the closed door. 

She sighed in frustration and turned back to Regina who was in mid shrug when the door opened again. She whirled back around at Regina's raised eyebrow.

"You're not?" The old woman peered at Emma closely and then at the rest of the party. "Well, you're a bit overdressed for the help I requested, but what do I know of kids these days? It shocks me to my bones that that obsessive half-wit sent anyone at all, fit for the job or not. The tools are 'round the back. Meet me there." She gestured vaguely around the the other side of the house and slammed the door again before Emma could get any further than opening her mouth.

"You're doing very well, Miss Swan, the peasantry like you already. Around the back, I'd suggest." Regina's beatific smile resulted in a glower from Emma.

"I'm not sure what use you'll be if you walk slower than an eighty year old woman," the very same bellowed as they rounded the corner. She had already begun pulling tools from the shed and leaning them against it. "Now mind you start with the weeding while the men-folk get to clearing that fallen tree. I'll show you where the saws are."

Emma tried again, "Arthur didn't send us."

Wrinkled eyes scrunched up even more as she peered at her, "He didn't? Well who the hell are you then? And what are you doing on my land? I'll not tolerate trespassers, lolligaggers, wastrels or dwarves, so that one better not be a dwarf."

Robin heard Leroy mutter, "Racist!" indignantly and not very far under his breath.

Hook was clearly trying to bite back a smile if not outright gales of laughter.

"He's just very short and bulbous, gets it from his father's side. Poor guy!" Regina cut in hastily, "We're actually hear looking for information about-"

"Everybody wants something from poor old Mistress Tabitha, like I have anything left to give! Everybody shows up to take, take, take! Nobody wants to work an honest day anymore. Nobody cares what I need, nobody cares for their elders, too busy with their own lives even for a visit. As if I did not raise half the town out of my larders back in the day!" Tabitha had quite a head of steam going.

"You need help clearing the land and weeding? We'll do it!" Emma all but shouted at the woman, "If you'll just tell us anything you know about Merlin."

"You will?" Tabitha looked them over doubtfully. "One and a half of you look like you could do a day's work, but I'll take it. What do you care about that gnarled old, root bound waste of space?"

"You know of him?" Emma said hopefully.

"Yes of course," Tabitha's eyes narrowed, "But a deal's a deal. You work, then I tell you. I won't brook nonsense from swindlers and cheats."

"Great, show us what you want done and let's get this over with." Regina smiled, but surliness crept in around the edges.

Robin passed tools to Henry, Hook and Leroy while Tabitha stalked off in the direction of the all but fallow field where they had arrived.

Emma and Regina stood patiently for fifteen minutes while the old woman pointed and explained and directed precisely how things were to be done on her farm while everyone else looked on in incredulity. Surely they were not going to spend an entire day in exchange for a hint of a rumor.

With her politician's smile firmly in place, Regina asked at last, "Is that everything?"

"It'll do for now," Tabitha had her eyes narrowed and was glancing between the two elegantly dressed women.

"And when we have finished, you'll tell us everything you know about Merlin?" Emma offered her hand to seal the deal.

"I will." Mistress Tabitha shook Emma's hand solemnly.

Emma looked at Regina and nodded.

"I'll take care of the tree, you do the weeding?" Regina could not hide the smile.

The old woman's suspicious eyes grew rounder in disbelief when Emma smiled back and said, "It's all yours."

Regina turned her back on Tabitha and pointed at the huge fallen tree which had crushed multiple fences and all but buried part of a planted field. The ground shook and loud snapping preceded precisely chopped firewood flying through the air to stack itself against the house and a moment later all the branches and roots were stripped from the tree. Regina tilted her head then snapped and the enormous log itself disappeared leaving a crumbling bark husk behind. The bark then rushed to join the split firewood beside the house.

With a self satisfied flourish, Regina dusted her hands off and turned back around, "Emma?"

Tabitha had her mouth hanging open but Regina looked over her head to smile at her friend.

"On it." Emma said simply.

A cyclone of uprooted vines and tough thistles wound its way row on row leaving behind mulched and bright green crops stretching toward the sun. The overgrown farm equipment dissolved into the dirt as well, leaving behind an orderly and neat field of thriving crops.

"Done!" Emma gave a delighted twirl in her dress to face Tabitha again.

She and Regina were smiling.

Tabitha was not.

Tabitha's face had gone utterly slack and looked like nothing more than melting wax with tears coursing down her leathery cheeks. Whimpers and sobs choked her every time she tried to form words. Finally she just grabbed both sorcerers and hugged them against her sides while she cried wordlessly.

Robin put his arm around Henry and whispered, "Are you as proud of your moms as I am right now?"

Misty eyes looked up at him and smiled. Henry just nodded.

Tabitha did compose herself after some soothing from Regina and Emma. Finally she said, "Why would you do this for information anyone could give you? I just thought you were here to try to cheat me or steal what little I have."

"What do you mean, anyone? Merlin hasn't been seen, according to our records, for a thousand years. Do you know what happened to him?"

"Well, yes, everyone around here does. He's taking up space just outside that obscenity of a castle Arthur erected years ago. Arthur claimed Merlin spoke to him, gave him prophesies. Nobody listened of course, until he came home with that bloody sword. Now he's making us all pay for it. He's a menace!" Tabitha was still staring out at her farmyard.

"Who's a menace, Merlin or Arthur?"

"Take your pick, or probably both."

"What do you mean by taking up space?"

"He's a tree."

"What?" Emma asked, incredulous.

"Merlin's been a tree for generations, got trapped that way. Magic is dangerous, not that I'm not grateful, mind, but it can get you into a frightful lot of trouble. You two need to be careful." Tabitha said all of this like any fool would know. "Not that it's my business, but what would you want with a tree-used-to-be-wizard?"

"He's the only one who can help us with a rather dire problem in our land." Regina said softly.

"Sorry to hear of your troubles, but I imagine he'll be about as much good to you as he has been to us, which is none at all. His being a tree. Look, I don't even know how to begin to thank you for what you just did for an old woman. I didn't think to survive the next winter with things as they were."

"Oh," Regina said seeming to remember something, "I prepared that log as lumber you can use or sell, it's over there."

Tabitha stared at Regina wordlessly again. "I wish there was more I could offer you to hold up my end of the bargain, but I burned the biscuits this morning and the tea is weak," she said finally.

"You've already been immensely helpful, but you could point us in the direction of this castle. And if you don't mind, you don't seem to be a fan of Arthur's, is there a reason?" Emma put in.

Tabitha chewed a wrinkled lip for a moment. "Aside from his bitterness at the world in general, he spends all his time giving speeches about the future greatness of Camelot while doing nothing about our real problems. As near as I can figure, he throws parties and sends knights out on quests for magic instead of helping his people. Power obsessed and inept. Best I can describe him. I don't suppose you're here to overthrow him are you? Because I can get the neighbors together and-"

"No, no. Nothing like that. A coup is a bit beyond what we've set out to do. But we'll talk to him, if he'll see us." Emma responded.

"You will?" Tabitha looked shocked. "Nobody stands up to him."

"We'll talk, see if we can help. It's the least we can do." Regina offered. "Thank you, Mistress, for the information, we best be on our way."

"If you ever need anything, you know where to find me. And thank you."

Robin thought for a moment she might begin to weep again, but she held it together and just stared out at the verdant field.

They opted to walk to the heart of Camelot instead of poofing into trouble, knowing now that Arthur was a touchy sort and so an hour later, they stared up at the towering ramparts of a castle ten times the size needed for the population in the surrounding village.

It seemed Tabitha was right, Arthur's management skills left something to be desired.  
"So you still want to stick with the truth now that we know Arthur's not the great king in the cartoon?" Emma asked Regina.

"What we know about Arthur is that he does not appear to be a king devoted to the welfare of his people. It is possible that he is just a bad bureaucrat and not actually evil. Incompetence is far more common than bonafide evil. And evil tends to be competent, if I dare say so," Regina smiled just a little, "The truth gives us the moral high ground, which is much easier to defend to a bad manager than a lie. We don't know Arthur's story, there may be a very good reason things appear to be in such disrepair for his people. Let's stick to the plan and try to enlist his help first, we can smite him later if he turns out evil."

"I love watching you smite," Hook massaged Emma's hand and Henry grinned.

"Shall we go petition the king?" Robin suggested taking Regina's hand himself and giving her his most affectionate smile.

"Indeed, brave sir Robin."

"I've been promoted!" He kissed her, but did not miss Henry's choking cough.

***

The line for petitioners took an hour to even get into the throne room. Leroy's feet hurt and he had needed a bathroom for the last forty-five minutes. The nobility droned on and on about taxes and famine and peasant labor and tree blight and- grumpily he had stopped listening a while back. There were still at least fifteen petitioners ahead of them so Leroy thought he could manage to take care of business without missing anything vital. After all, Regina and Emma were listening intently to the politics of this realm as if their lives depended on it.

So he sidled up to the nearest guard and made his request. The tall man made a point of looking down, a long way down and then pointing silently to a side door across the way. Leroy could hear the droning noble's nasally whine half way down the hallway before he found where he was going.

Once relieved, he took a moment to look around on his way back. The walls were hung with tapestries, the art of master artisans filled every niche and gilt covered the cornices. Arthur clearly prized the appearance of his halls above the wellbeing of his citizens. Leroy felt inclined toward calling him evil and going straight to the part about smiting.

Then he heard Regina's voice echoing down the hallway and he beat a hasty retreat back to the throne room to join the others.

"-seek out Merlin for his assistance with this matter of urgency."

To his great surprise, Arthur, a bearded man of unimpressive height, for a human, rushed down from the dais with a huge smile on his face.

"At last! Merlin prophesied your arrival! We have been waiting ten years for this day! Welcome to Camelot, you must tell me of your journey and how I may assist you. We'll see you to rooms and tonight, we shall throw a ball in your honor." The guy was grinning like an idiot.

Leroy did not know what to think. From the flabbergasted twin expressions borne by Emma and Regina, they were in similar case. Hook looked amused, if incredulous. Robin had that irritatingly optimistic smile he never seemed to lose, except when he gushed adoringly at Regina. And Henry, poor Henry, just looked somewhere between star-struck and completely overwhelmed.

He startled visibly when Arthur clapped him too firmly on the shoulder and asked about how far he was away from earning his knighthood. The bewildered kid craned his neck to look at his moms and they shrugged permissively.

"Actually, in our land, I'm a writer."

"A writer?" Arthur went on at great volume about what an honorable position that must be in his land and did he expect to inherit...

Leroy stopped listening to the pompous king and followed the group from the throne room. The dusty petitioners behind them in line were rolling their eyes and muttering about more of the same, and of course the dresses would be instantly granted whatever they wished, but no time for anyone in grey. No time for the hungry.

Arthur's bombastic prattling filled the room on his way to the exit so Leroy doubted he heard a single complaint uttered by his people.

If the great sorcerer had to spend an era as a tree, he could have done worse. He made an impressive tree, even a handsome one, to Leroy's eyes as he looked up.

"The greatest sorcerer of all time, in all the realms, is stuck in side a bloody tree?" Hook looked stuck between disgusted and vaguely unimpressed.

Arthur laughed too jovially and said, "I said exactly the same thing the first time he spoke to me. I hadn't really believed the stories until then. A tree's a tree, right?"

But then he sobered up, "But your problem is serious indeed. We have heard of the Dark One and this is a grave matter. Can I ask what you hope Merlin can do for you, once you free him?"

He said that as if freeing the wizard from a tree was a forgone conclusion.

"His Apprentice said we could destroy the darkness for good with Merlin's help. The Dark One is our friend and she took on the curse of the Dark One to save the man she loves, so we hope to save her from it." Regina told him solemnly. "We don't know how, exactly, but it seems like getting Merlin out of there will be step one, in any case."

"And where is the Dark One, now, if I may ask?" Leroy could not blame Arthur too much for sounding nervous about that one.

"We don't know exactly, but we do know she is in the Enchanted Forest somewhere." Emma hesitated, "We have the means to summon her so that should not be a problem."

Leroy saw Arthur blink and his eyes widened slightly.

"And it is unlikely she means any harm because we know she would never have wanted to be the Dark One, she did what she did for love." Regina added quickly. "And to be perfectly honest, now that we know Merlin's disposition, I think we should summon her. Best not to leave her alone with the darkness too long. Besides which, she might be able to help us."

"And you want to keep an eye on her." Arthur stated without missing a beat.

"And that." Regina looked over her shoulder at the tree.

"I don't like the sound of a new Dark One roaming free throughout the realm so if you can summon her, by all means, do so! Keep your friends close and anything that worries you closer, right?" Arthur had an amazingly bright smile with straight white teeth. Leroy thought the man seemed a little too perfectly put together. Even for a king.

"Are we ready?" Emma asked Regina.

Regina nodded, "Do it."

Emma put her hand in a pocket of her skirts and said loudly, "Belle, Belle, Belle."

***

It was a big tree.

One moment Belle and been tearing through Rumple's research about inter-realm travel and the next she had been yanked out of her studies by the scruff of her neck with a sudden sensation of suffocation and a burst of nausea. Hot afternoon sunlight made her squint up, and up, and up. A very big tree.

"Belle?"

She whirled around feeling compelled to do so.

Nine sets of very round eyes were staring at her. Emma, the reason for her sudden trip here she felt certain, Regina, Robin, Hook, Henry and Leroy. Three others she did not recognize. The heroes looked frankly horrified. The three new faces looked somewhere between repulsed and disgusted.

It would be hard to blame them, all things considered. She looked a sight, no way around that.

"Grandma?" Henry began to step toward her but both of his parents restrained him.

"Henry!" Belle smiled at him and saw Regina wrinkle up her nose in distaste. Dark One-hood did not come with a good dental package, that was true. She searched their shocked gazes and finally said, "Why are you here, why did you summon me? You need something from me?"

"The Apprentice said we could destroy the darkness forever with Merlin's help." Regina gestured, of all things, at the tree. That did not make any sense. She must have seen Belle's brow furrow because she went on, "We came to save you."

"You all came, for me?" Belle felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, "But how did you even get here?"

"The Apprentice gave us his wand, Grandma," Henry said freeing himself from his mothers' grasps. He threw his arms around her. He mumbled into her shoulder, "I was worried about you. Are you ok?"

Belle hugged him back and rocked them both, "It looks worse than it is. I hope. That's what I keep telling myself. All I have to do is get back to Rumple, heal him, and then let True Love's Kiss do its job. Then I'll be free and the darkness will be gone forever."

Belle opened her eyes to see one of the strangers giving Regina and Emma a sidelong look.

"But what of Merlin?" The stranger spoke not to her but to Emma and Regina.

"We'll find a way to free him," Emma did not hesitate to reply.

Belle released Henry and he said, "Don't worry Grandma, we got this."

"I believe introductions are in order," the foremost of the strangers said standing with his chest puffed out even further, if that was possible. "I am King Arthur of Camelot, this is Sir Perceval."

"I am formerly Belle of Avonlea but now I guess, at least temporarily, I am the Dark One. However unwillingly." The Dark One had appeared behind Arthur and waggled his fingers to either side of the unaware king's head. Why would the Dark One choose this moment to tell Belle Arthur had trouble with his wife? What business was it of hers that someone had cuckolded Arthur? The Dark One grinned maliciously.

"I am most gratified to hear you are an unwilling host. Be welcome at Camelot, we will do everything we can to rid you of this plague." There was something behind that smile that Belle did not like.

Instead of dwelling on that she said, "You mentioned freeing Merlin, is he imprisoned somewhere?"

Arthur gave a forced chuckle, "You're standing beside him. The tree. He's imprisoned in a tree."

"Oh, how long has he been a tree?" Belle asked.

"About a thousand years, near as we can tell from the histories. He only began to give me prophesies about twenty years ago now, though. He foretold this gathering, that the Savior would set him free. That is one of you. Isn't it?" Arthur searched their faces.

"Oh, that'd be me. No pressure. I thought we'd work together on this project." Emma chuckled nervously.

"We will," Regina assured her and Belle nodded.

"I will help in any way I can." Belle promised.

"Excellent!" Hook interjected bombastically, "When can we get started?"

"Immediately, I suppose," Arthur responded with a smile, "I'll show you to his tower."

Arthur's castle appeared nothing short of opulent to Belle as they wound through the corridors leading to the tower steps. It seemed strange to her that the trade agreement between this kingdom and her own had not reflected that. She felt like she was missing something.

Wizards, it seemed, tended to have at least some similarities in their habits. Merlin's workroom looked very much like Rumple's in essentials down to the relatively untidy appearance. And that's when it hit her.

She had been summoned and that meant that the staff and the rose were back in the Dark Castle and very far away. Belle hid her panic in pretending to begin digging through Merlin's spell ingredients. She had to figure out a way to slip off quietly for long enough to retrieve them. To know Rumple was alright. He had to be. He had been only half an hour ago when Emma had summoned her.

"I don't mean to be fashion critical, Belle, but you could choose something less scary to wear." Regina startled Belle away from her anxious thoughts.

She whirled around, "Oh, right. I guess I hadn't thought about that." So she did think for a moment before remembering how Rumple had changed her clothes before. Belle snapped and pointed at the floor. A swirl of sky blue smoke dissipated before her eyes leaving behind a deep green gown modeled after what she had seen on the ladies as they walked through the hallways downstairs. "Better?"

Regina gave her an appraising look and nodded, "Much, the green sets off the gold of your scales."

"I'm not certain if I should be insulted or flattered." Belle told her flatly.

"Your choice, but it was kindly meant. Now you're the bookworm, any thoughts on how a person becomes a tree?" 

Henry had suggested that Arthur's library might hold records from the time leading up to Merlin's becoming a tree that could lead to why it happened. Why could then lead them to how, if they were lucky. His parents had not wanted him to go alone so Hook and Robin had accompanied him leaving her in the tower with Emma, Regina and Leroy.

It took most of the afternoon for Belle to decide to ask what she had been wondering about since appearing in Arthur's courtyard under summons of the dagger. Her mind had wandered out of the transmutation text under her fingers again. She had not moved from a single paragraph for how long? She needed to know.

"Why did you come here? I don't think I could have returned to Storybrooke on my own any time soon, short of curses or beans. And we all know how that goes. So why come after me? The Dark One was no threat to you." Belle looked up from the text with her last sentence to find the two startled sorcerers focused on her. Leroy looked up too.

"I don't know about them, sister, but you're my friend and you're in trouble. That's what dwarves do." Leroy stuck out his chin defiantly.

Belle smiled at him, then licked her teeth awkwardly before saying warmly, "Leroy, you and Henry are the only two I'm not surprised to see."

Emma looked both startled and offended but Regina, for her part looked like she had been served raw toad for supper. She made a study of her hands splayed out over the book she had been reading.

"I'm the Savior! Of course I'd come. Why wouldn't I help you, Belle?" Emma's affront was clear.

Belle considered her reply carefully before proceeding holding her tone as level and steady as she could, "When I was cursed as Lacey, I was not a priority for you. Leroy had to ask the fairies to make me some of the potion they made for Clark. And out of curiosity, absent a deal you made with Rumple, would you have helped him find his son if he had asked you for your help? Don't get me wrong, I am very glad you're here and that you want to help me, I guess I am not used to being anyone's priority but Rumple's."

Emma had her mouth open to reply a long moment before it started moving and words tumbled out. "I guess, I mean. No, I get it, you're right." Emma had tears in luminescent eyes, "I hadn't even thought about that, that you were trapped as Lacey. I had so much on my mind and, no, I was so overwhelmed with Henry and Neal and Regina that I didn't give you a second thought. I mean, I'm not sure what I could have done, but you were in trouble and I didn't help you. I get that." Emma raked fingers through her hair, "That just sounds like a bad excuse now, but the whole Savior thing was a bit much, you know?"

Belle stayed silent and the air hung thick with it.

Emma continued eventually, "Not knowing that Gold's son was Neal, I probably wouldn't have helped him if he had just asked because, because of a lot of things. I see what you're saying though. It comes down to his being the Dark One, cursing everyone, using me to get him a potion while Henry died, I just-" Emma cut herself off with a ragged huff. "I didn't accept that those shadowed by darkness were probably the people I most needed to help."

Emma looked at Regina whose eyes had remained fixed on her book in discomfort. 

Belle waited and watched Emma's rapidly flicking gaze search Regina's countenance before she said, "Emma, I forgive you. And I know that you had other considerations aside from me when I was cursed as Lacey. The burden of being the Savior is enormous and I can only imagine the toll that must take on you. I'm glad you're here now."

Emma looked back up at Belle, eyes darting back and forth nervously. She swallowed.

Regina spoke quietly, "You're asking because you don't trust us. You want to know if we're here to help you or to destroy the Dark One. Am I right?"

Belle felt her mouth stretch in a slow smile, "Yes, that's right. Which is it?"

She heard Leroy shifting from foot to foot but did not spare him a glance.

Regina looked up and dark eyes bore into hers, steady, solid and confident, "The sins I have to answer for are much greater than those of Miss Swan. But I won't lie and say I only came to help you. I owe you probably more than I can repay and that's a huge part of why I'm here, but I'm also here to dispense with the Dark One once and for all. I am as much here to help you as you are willing to participate in that goal. I'd do the same if it were Rumple, or anyone else."

Belle nodded, "That I believe. You may rest assured that I have every intention of destroying the Dark One, considering what it has cost me. Now, what happened to the dagger?"

Emma sucked air through her teeth and stiffened.

The Dark One appeared behind Emma and giggled, clapping his hands.

"Emma has it, it's safe." Regina held up a hand and stepped between Belle and Emma.

"I would like to be the one to keep it safe, please." Belle held out her hand toward Emma.

Emma swallowed visibly and darted a nervous look at Regina before pulling herself together. "Is that wise? What if something goes wrong? What if you give in to the darkness? Wouldn't you feel better knowing that I have your back?"

"My going dark is the least of the things that could go wrong, Emma. The dagger in the wrong hands could have catastrophic consequences." Belle fixed Emma with her gaze, letting that sink in. "Besides which, taking the free will of another is a deeply dark act, are you prepared for that? I deserve the benefit of the doubt, a chance. No one has fought this darkness as intimately as I have, except Rumple. What I truly need is for you to actually have my back. Because I do need it. I do need you, not to control me, but to help me believe that I can remain myself, to believe in me should I falter. Can you do that? Can you believe in me?"

Emma's face had fallen into a steady line as Belle talked and Regina's mouth twisted into a frustrated scowl.

"I need you to prove it, to prove that the darkness doesn't already have you. Then I'll have a basis for that belief. You know I don't believe easily." Emma's spine seemed to straighten a little.

"You want to make a deal for my freedom." Belle said flatly.

"I want some shred of evidence that you aren't going to level the place the second I hand over the knife."

Belle said coldly, "Fine then, I need some assurance that I won't become a casualty on your mission if I become inconvenient. Give the dagger to Leroy."

"What?!" Leroy squawked in alarm.

Belle ignored him for the moment, eyes glued on Emma's bulging ones, "If your hesitation is only about being certain I haven't been lost already, give the dagger to Leroy. He came not because it's the right thing to do, but because he is my friend. He will keep everyone safe if it comes to at and I can be certain someone who cares for me personally holds my leash."

"That's fair." Regina said quietly. "I agree to Leroy holding the dagger until we have time for you to prove this isn't the Dark One in a Belle suit."

The Dark One gave a braying laugh. He trilled, "Imagine me in a Belle suit, so beautiful!"

Belle ignored him, her concentration fixed on Emma.

"I hate this!" Emma declared shoving hands into her hairline. "I wish I could just give it to you with confidence Belle, but I can't and you know why. Leroy it is."

A tightness released in Belle's chest and she turned to the wide-eyed dwarf to watch as Emma drew her dagger from a skirt pocket and placed it in her friend's shaky hands.

"I don't want this!" Leroy protested when he retrieved his voice.

"And that's why, if anyone must, I'd rather it was you." Belle said warmly to him.

"What's to stop me from just giving it back to you, Belle? I'm a dwarf with a bad attitude. I like to complain about work which I actually like, and drink beer at Granny's. I'm a strong body with an axe, not a ring bearer. Yeah, I saw those movies. They don't end well for the poor guy left holding the bag. Ring, whatever." Leroy was sweating.

Belle crossed the room to him and, ignoring his bug-eyed terror, kissed him softly on the cheek.

She turned back to face the other two, "Now, I have agreed to this as a gesture of good faith. I need the same from you. When you summoned me, I left behind my work in the Dark Castle. I need to go and get it. Rumple's life is my priority."

Belle did not wait for them to come to a decision. She vanished.


	3. Act III

"Leroy, I think you should give me back the dagger. For your own safety." Emma said softly once the puff of smoke had disappeared along with the Dark One.

"No!" Leroy, for all he did not want this burden, had been given the responsibility for it and Belle's trust. "I have a job to do, sister."

Emma took a deep breath. "Alright. But will you really do it. If it comes down to that? Because I will and Regina will, if you can't."

"Belle trusts me. I'm a dwarf, I do the right thing. But that doesn't mean I can be pushed around. I decide what that is. That's why she gave it to me." Leroy had never felt so strongly about anything in his life. These two were used to being in charge, to telling him what to do. Not today though. Not today.

"We made a deal. Belle knows that if she breaks it we'll come for her. If we break it, that's trouble we don't want." Regina said carefully. "Let's focus on getting Merlin out. He can help us if it comes to that."

"It won't come to that. This is Belle we're talking about. Or have you forgotten that? It's like you don't even see her anymore. Well I do. I see my friend in trouble, a friend who needs my help. And I am going to make sure she gets it." Leroy told them under no uncertain terms.

***

Her words had stung and Emma smarted still as she resumed her reading. What was she supposed to do? Between Cora and Regina and invaders trying to destroy magic, what choice did she have? That just was not fair.

Being the Savior meant everyone thought she had to be perfect. That was just too much. Too much for any person, let alone her. She had still been reeling from discovering she had magic, that curses and evil queens and dark sorcerers were real, that she wanted her son with a desperation that consumed her every guilty thought about putting him up for adoption.

And Belle thought she was not good enough.

What would be good enough for Belle, then?

The woman had taken up with the Dark One, married him, for gods' sakes. Not everyone thought snuggling up with a demon, loving or not, was a particularly inspired idea. Could anyone, no matter how wretched, redeem themselves?

Emma did not know the answer. But she did know that they had to want redemption, had to actually try.

Belle saw the good in everyone...

So said Gold.

Seeing it was one thing, but there were limits, boundaries which could not be crossed. Gold had obliterated every line Emma could think of and still managed to find more ways to create havoc. The book said they were true love, but at what point was enough enough?

Her memories of being chained up and crazy in that tower remained a little too vivid for her liking.

Sure, Killian was no saint himself, but he was making an effort. When he had returned with the bean and his ship to help her save Henry, Emma had known that there was more to him than a selfish pirate. That he wanted to be more. And now.

Now he worked with her side by side for the good of everyone. He would never be perfect, and she would not want that anyway, but he was special to her and he was trying. He was here to help Belle, which he most certainly did not have to do. He could have as easily stayed home in Storybrooke out of spite considering his tiff with the "Crocodile," but he had decided to help regardless of his past.

Belle seemed to think that because she had faith in Gold, that they should have faith in her.

To Emma's mind, that was absurd at best. The Dark One had been at the root of all of their woes for hundreds of years. How could that possibly be a basis for trusting her?

A basis for rescuing her if they possibly could, yes, but trust? Blind faith that she would be different? That she would not slide into darkness and be consumed as Gold had been?

No.

And why had Regina accepted Leroy as an alternative? She seemed to lack the skepticism about the Dark One Emma would have expected.

How much of Belle was really left after the darkness took her? Any? Fifty percent? Where Regina's own dark sympathies doing her a disservice? Clouding her judgment?

Blue smoke swirled in the room and startled Emma from the book she had not been reading.

In one hand, a notched walking stick seemed to catch the sunlight from the window and glow softly. Clutched tightly under the other arm, a glass jar contained a rose in full bloom whose head had begun to bend downward slightly. It was still beautiful, though, with shimmering red petals which refracted the light and a brilliant green stem. The word surreal came to mind, but could that really be applied to magic?

Belle herself was peering down at the rose with worry creasing her features.

"Wow, Belle. You have been busy!" Regina stepped forward immediately peering at the rose. "Did you really fashion a conduit between yourself and Rumple?"

Belle nodded, "It seems our true love was enough to let me know he's still alive. For now."

"And you enchanted a staff! I am impressed, bookworm. Your studies do you credit. That could really work." Regina continued to gush over Belle's accomplishments. "That leaves us to free Merlin and then maybe you can heal Rumple after all. I wasn't sure it was possible when last I saw him."

Belle set the rose down on the table and leaned the staff against a shelf. "It is such a comfort to at least know he's still breathing, to feel his heartbeat. I'm worried though, that we might run out of time. He's beginning to wilt already."

Leroy stood quietly smiling and turning the dagger over and over in his hands, Emma noticed. He looked for all the world like a fond uncle.

Emma felt a twinge over her earlier thoughts. Maybe more of Belle yet survived under the scaly features of the Dark One than Emma had suspected. She sounded like Belle, and that tender and worried expression, she had seen it very recently without the scales. Could that really still be Belle? Or mostly Belle?

"It is beautiful, Belle," Emma approached her workbench. "You say you can feel his heartbeat? May I?"

Emma tentatively stretched out a hand toward the glass, waiting for Belle's permission.

She gave it with a small smile and nod.

Emma rested a hand against the warm glass. Sure enough, a slow heartbeat drummed against her palm. "Whoah," she whispered, "That's some serious magic, Belle."

"I had to know."

Emma jerked her eyes up to meet Belle's. They were not the eyes she remembered. Black with injections of what looked like pus, Emma had a hard time not flinching let alone continuing to look into them. But she did and the second she looked past the horrifying visage, she saw the compassionate young woman she remembered.

Murmuring, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just, am just," Emma paused, "worried."

Belle met her gaze with a softness that should not have been even possible, looking as she did. "It's ok, Emma. I understand. And," Belle swallowed, "I meant what I said about knowing why Lacey wasn't a priority to you. Your burden is heavy. I know that." She frowned for a moment, "I'm worried too."

"You two can kiss and make up on your own time. We've got logging to do." Regina said flatly.

"Regina!" Emma admonished gently.

"Right, not the best choice of words, but not wrong either."

Emma saw Belle smirk, "No, not wrong."

***

His Emma looked truly stunning in her white gown. She seemed to float like the dance floor was her personal lake. Hook had passed besotted ages ago in favor of head-over-heels and hopelessly in love.

The music reached his ears, but his partner dazzled him to distraction and it was everything he could do to keep his steps in line.

The evening had had a bit of an awkward start.

The crier had announced them each to thunderous applause from the gathered nobility, until the last pair.

"Leroy the Dwarf and-" pause, "Belle of Avonlea, Dark One."

Dead silence.

Leroy looked at Belle whose eyes had fallen to the hem of her dress, then he bellowed, "Hey! All of you! You should cheer this woman. Before you stands one of the bravest people I have ever known. The woman beside me stared into the face of bitter darkness and didn't blink. She grabbed evil by the scruff and said no! No, you will not destroy my town. No! You will not destroy love. And, no! You will not destroy me either. She saved us all and tremendous cost to herself. So you better clap. And you better mean it!"

How a smile full of rotting teeth and oral decay could light up a room baffled Hook, but it did. And he started clapping.

When the dance finished he kissed his Swan and thanked his lucky stars it had not been her. She had charged out into the night with the dagger after the darkness like she would never quit until one of them died and he had thought for sure he would lose her that night. But he had not. Because of Belle's sacrifice.

He owed that woman. Again.

"Say love, how would you feel about a stroll in the moonlight?" Hook turned his most dashing smile on Emma.

"Is that a euphemism?" Emma returned his smile with a knowing one of her own.

"Most definitely, what would ever give you that idea?"

To his delight, she accepted the crook of his elbow and snuggled in close.

The moon lit their path through the woods in the summer night. Hook savored the warm heady feeling of having Emma beside him with nothing but the music of the crickets to serenade them as they walked.

"How are you so relaxed, Killian?" Emma asked softly.

"What do you mean, love?"

"I mean, anything could go wrong at any moment and you have the presence of mind to suggest this. I can't get my worries out of my head enough to just take a romantic stroll. But you? Cool as a cucumber."

Hook stopped, deciding it was time to voice his earlier thoughts, "It could have been you, Emma."

"What?"

"You had the dagger in your hand and went chasing the darkness. The Crocodile had been trying to turn you dark. With his own demise he could have succeeded. Do you realized how easily it could have been you?" Hook took her hand in his. "It could have been you."

"It wasn't. It wasn't me though." Emma's hand traced the open collar of his shirt.

"But it could have been. So, yeah, right now I am grateful because it feels like we just dodged a huge bullet. I guess I'm just enjoying the moment, the relief, that it wasn't you."

Emma kissed him softly for a moment. Then, forehead against his she said, "Do you think that's still Belle?"

"I have to, because if it had been you, I would choose to believe there was hope. You taught me that. To choose hope. So yeah, that's still Belle, we just have to get her out before the Dark One has done with her." Hook knew he was trying to convince himself still, but no matter, there had to be hope.

"She said something today that I just can't let go of." Emma murmured into his neck when she lay her head on his shoulder.

"What'd she say?" He ran his hand over the lacing at the back of her dress.

"She said I didn't make her a priority when she needed help."

"I don't understand, you help everyone."

"But that's just it. She asked if I would have helped Gold find his son if I hadn't made a deal with him. I think the answer would have been no."

Hook sighed into her hair, "You're worried because, hypothetically, you think you wouldn't have helped the man who arranged for the curse that separated you from your parents as a baby in the first place? The same man who murdered his wife on the deck of my ship? That guy?"

"I know, I know. But what if she sees something in him? Like I did, do, in Regina? If she sees hope? Shouldn't I, as the Savior, help everyone? Not just the obvious ones?" Emma's voice sounded tight, strained.

"I have news for you. You'll never, ever, ever be perfect. And you can't save everyone either. Savior be damned. Your human, Swan. If Belle thinks that sniveling coward is worth saving, let her do it. You can't be responsible for the whole world, worlds." Hook hugged her tighter with his hook arm and ran his hand softly over her hair. "You're just like everyone else, doing the best they can and better, in my book."

"It's just odd, coming from you, you know. That you think there's a chance to save someone from the Dark One. And Gold? Was there ever a time he could have been salvaged?" Emma did not sound judgmental so much as contemplative.

"I honestly don't know. When I met him I despised him for his weakness. But he raised a good son." Hook blew out a breath, "Don't you dare tell anyone, but maybe him too. Maybe there was a chance, long ago. I don't know what will become of him now."

"If he makes it."

"Yeah, if." Hook snuffled his way into her hair and gently took her ear in his teeth, then he said, "But this is a romantic moonlit stroll, so let's get back to that. Eh, love?"

Emma giggled at him, tickled his ribs and earned an indignant squawk for her trouble before he proceeded to kiss her to distraction.

***

She sat alone, completely focused on that rose. The pale blue gown she had chosen for the evening suited her, though the curly hair was a bit difficult to get used to.

Leroy, not knowing what else to do with the dagger, had asked the three ladies earlier not to reveal that he had it. Obviously, Regina had scoffed. Her Evil Majesty could use a few manners from time to time. All the time. That left the damned thing weighing down the inner pocket of his tunic and tugging at his clothing constantly. He could not forget he had it. No matter what.

Belle could not forget that either, he supposed. He would share her burden.

At that, he approached her.

"You know what I see when I look at that rose?" She shook her head, giving him a small but warm smile. "I see hope."

"Hope? But every petal that falls brings Rumple closer to death." Strain stretched her features and her grief showed clearly, scales, weird eyes and all.

"But every petal still on the stem is another chance to save him. I know you will, Belle."

"Thanks, Leroy. I am so glad you're here. I'm not sure how I would have faired alone."

"I won't let you do this alone, sister." Leroy swallowed and went on before he lost his nerve, "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled sadly at him and took his proffered hand.

Three steps into the dance, Leroy nearly regretted his decision. Belle could dance. Really, really dance. Better than anyone else on the floor.

The new Dark One moved through the steps with a grace and light completely belying her transformation. Her dark orbs, though they crinkled with affection at him, were difficult for him to look into for long.

It seemed he was not the only one to notice Belle's performance on the dance floor. Eyes flicked to them, to her, and couples tripped and mistimed their steps as they watched unable to look away. For his part, Leroy tried to keep up, stay out of her way and let the poor woman enjoy her dance. Though, he could not help but think of Nova, Astrid, whatever.

So Leroy watched Belle's face, the way her scales shone in the light as she spun back and forth, how she seemed to lose herself in the music.

But that all came to a crashing halt when the screaming started.

One moment they were dancing and Belle was relaxed, smiling at him and the next she had whirled to face the disturbance.

Leroy saw the flash of swords, heard the cry of agony when a sword found its target, and then one of Arthur's knights soared into the air to dangle kicking and clutching at his throat. Beside him Belle had her hand raised and her face looked as unmoving as a statue, a murderous statue.

"Don't kill him, Belle," Leroy hissed before he heard Regina.

"Robin!"

The knights body clattered to the ground and Belle blurred to where Regina's pink skirt blocked his view of what he now supposed to be Robin's body. 

Somehow, amid the shouts and chaos, Leroy managed to elbow his way through the press.

"Where's Emma? Let's get him out of here!" Regina cried.

Belle snapped her fingers and Regina, Henry, Robin and himself were alone in one of Merlin's rooms.

"Can you heal him?" Belle asked.

Robin lay still on a table with a telltale spreading red stain of a stab wound that smelled like a bad one. The kind people did not survive.

Regina did not answer Belle, but purple magic flowed from her fingers then faltered. "Why won't it work?!"

The former queen growled and tried again to no effect. Belle set a wet sword blade down on the table and moved to stand next to Regina. It looked to Leroy like she had been about to comment when Regina reached out to the sword and then jerked her hand away.

"This sword was enchanted to kill me so my magic cannot heal this wound. Where is Emma?"

"I don't know, she and Hook were not in the ball room or I would have brought them here too." Belle said.

Henry looked downright waxy and Leroy hoped the boy would not pass out. But he swallowed, "I saw them leave about an hour ago. I don't know where they went."

"Robin doesn't have time for us to find them." Regina whispered, but everyone would have heard in the silence. She looked hesitantly at Belle, "If I didn't have to, I wouldn't ask. Can you do it?"

Belle swallowed and looked nervous, "Yes." Then she turned to look at a corner of the room and frown, "I know that. I'll deal with it later."

Leroy had no idea whom she had been addressing, but then she had reached a hand out over Robin's wound and a soft blue light seeped into the sleeping former thief.

Seconds ticked by before Robin opened his eyes with a huge inhale. He stared around dazedly in apparent confusion.

"Robin!" And they were holding each other. Belle flicked a look back at the empty corner and then left the room abruptly, rose tucked under her arm. It had lost a third petal.

***

Belle sat at a wooden writing desk in her room with both hands holding the glass jar, just to feel his heartbeat.

"So when are you going to tell them? Will you wait until they've finished hugging and kissing in relief, or will you only tell them when the fury shows up for dear old Robin Hood?"

She could see his reflection in the glass and did not bother to turn around, "I will find a way to have them pay the price of magic without killing anyone."

"The price of magic is a life. I wasn't kidding. Not a joke. The furry chinned thief is going to the underworld unless the price of magic is paid. Sooner or later. Probably sooner." He tapped a claw rapidly on the wood of her door frame. "So who do you want killed?"

"No one!" Belle snapped at him.

"Oh, well, if you say so." He came to stand behind her chair and began a massage of her bare shoulders. "Now what about that other matter, the one I showed you and I know you noticed for yourself."

"Guinevere? I can feel the wrongness on her. You know for a fact that she was unfaithful to Arthur?" He was minding his claws against her skin so she did not tell him to stop.

"In her heart, even if no other way. But what to you make of that dark magic? Smells," he paused, "familiar."

"If you know, just tell me. No games." Belle grumbled and he dug into a tight spot behind her left shoulder.

"I, or rather he, traded her for a certain gauntlet that has caused so much trouble recently." The Dark One smelled her hair noisily. "We gave her the Sands of Avalon to help cure Arthur of his little obsession. Oh, did I forget to mention he wants your dagger?"

"What?!" Belle whirled around in her chair uncaring that her head smacked smartly into his nose.

He rubbed his nose in offense but he said, "His little toy sword is broken, poor boy. Only your dagger can complete it. Which brings us back to his dear wife." The Dark One paced and flourished with evident enjoyment as he explained. "It would appear that her plan to fool him into believing his sword had been completed did-nae go as planned. He used that sand on her instead. I'd know that smell anywhere." 

"So he," Belle wrinkled her nose in disgust, "forced her."

"Undoubtedly and many times."

"Well, you asked who needed killing." Belle growled in anger, standing with her fists clenched.

The Dark One's mouth formed an O and he blew loudly through his rounded lips. Then he smiled.

Belle heard herself a beat later. She hissed, "Damn you! I'm not killing anyone!"

He said nothing but continued smiling softly at her.

***

Belle absented herself from breakfast with the king and queen uncertain she could refrain from causing a scene and it was well on toward mid morning when her compatriots arrived in Merlin's tower.

"Belle, I did not see you at breakfast this morning, but I wanted to thank you for saving my life." Robin Hood had kind blue eyes and a gentle smile. Belle would not regret her decision to save him, but she could not bring herself to tell him and the others the price of magic either. Not yet.

So she smiled a little at the floor and murmured, "Of course." She did not give the others time to refocus their attention though, "There's something you need to know. Arthur isn't the gracious king he would have us believe."

"We know, we saw the condition of his kingdom outside these walls before we summoned you." Regina said.

"It's a lot worse than just poor leadership. He has done something to Guinevere. I can feel the darkness around her. It feels like it's wrapped so tightly that she can't breathe." Belle insisted.

"You're certain?" Hook asked.

Belle frowned at him, opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again and returned her attention to Regina, "We need to help Guinevere if we possibly can."

"Why do you think it was Arthur that hurt her with dark magic?" Emma asked.

"Call it an educated hunch," Belle hedged and Emma frowned at her.

"Any ideas what's wrong or how to fix it?" Regina exchanged glances with Emma.

"I'd need to study it, maybe spend some time with her to figure it out. I doubt Arthur would allow it though, as I am now." Belle deflected neatly, but Emma's eyes remained narrowed.

Emma suggested, "Maybe I could spend some time with her, Arthur might allow that."

Belle nodded, "That's a good idea, see what you think."

"Why don't I ask the queen to dine with Emma and I for our midday meal?" Regina said nodding, "That should give us the opening we need. A ladies lunch, sorry Belle, but you're right, best you stay here and research. Maybe the gentlemen should keep Arthur entertained?"

"Splendid, why don't I arrange an afternoon hunt? That should give you plenty of time alone with Guinevere." Robin smiled and kissed Regina's head. She leaned into him and Belle felt a pang of jealousy and guilt. She had to sort out the price of magic before it was too late and she missed Rumple terribly.

Henry smiled hopefully at Robin and then his eyes darted between Emma and Regina.

"Henry, you can go provided you stay with Robin the entire time. I don't want you accidentally ending up full of holes, Emma?"

"Yeah, between Robin and Killian, he should be fine," Emma consented.

"Hey!" Leroy voiced his objection loudly and everyone turned to look at him. "I'll be there too, just saying."

"Right, Henry will be fine," Emma restated.

"And," Belle interjected facing Leroy, "If trouble comes up, you can summon me."

"It won't come to that," Robin said hastily, "but thanks all the same."

An awkward silence descended and Belle put her eyes back on her book.

"Say, Grandma, did you work all night? I can't help but notice, you're still wearing your gown." Henry was fiddling with some dried herbs hanging from a shelf.

"Oh, yeah Henry, I couldn't sleep."

"Any progress?" Belle thought she detected a certain amount of effort behind Emma's collegial statement.

"Sadly, no. I can't find references to transfiguration into a tree or even any kind of plant anywhere in his notes so far. As far as I know, it could have been a backlash from a spell gone wrong, or even the price of magic. I'm sorry, but I just haven't gotten anywhere with this. I wish I could just talk to him, ask him how it happened." Belle lamented before turning to Hook, "Did you find anything in your reading yesterday, in the histories, about what might have happened?"

"Unfortunately not," Hook picked at the wooden bench with his hook, wiggling out a splinter, "The histories say he saw petitioners up until the day they couldn't find him. According to our boy Arthur, no one knew the tree was Merlin until it started talking to Arthur."

"So it could be possible to talk to him! If Merlin could talk to Arthur, he should be able to talk to us too, if we can figure out a way to help him do it." This felt like the first word of progress and Belle smiled at the room. Some looked away, others licked their teeth and Belle stopped smiling.

Her warm, friendly and encouraging smile, the one she had relied on for her entire life, had lost its effect, it would seem. She sighed and looked down. "Any ideas on how to do that?"

"Oh!" Emma attracted all eyes to her, "I might. And it might help Guinevere as well. Belle, do you remember Pongo? I mean when I looked at his memories? With a dreamcatcher? We could try the same for Merlin."

Belle snapped and caught the appearing dreamcatcher as it came into existence. She said, "This could be it."

She did not miss the nervous shifting of feet around the room.

"That's dark magic, Belle." Regina warned.

"I didn't hear you objecting last night." Belle made no attempt to hide her acerbic tone.

"A life was on the line, we were out of options."

"And lest we not forget, a life is still in the balance! Rumple lost another petal this morning. I mean the rose did," Belle insisted.

"We haven't forgotten, Belle," Robin soothed. His hands ran up and down Regina's arms.

"So, let's get this done. No reason to wait." Emma tapped a finger on the table.

"Or maybe there is." Regina held up a hand, "We may not want Arthur to be in on this, considering what Belle told us. We could wait two hours until he's off hunting. Belle?"

Belle glanced toward the wilting rose and blinked rapidly several times, "Two hours. But he doesn't have much time left."

The heat of the day had just begun to assert itself when Emma and Belle stood looking up at the tree née sorcerer.

"Let's get this over with," Emma said gripped a fist full of her pure white skirts. Regina had agreed to go make their lunch invitation to Guinevere to ensure Belle and Emma had privacy for this so Emma was right, time was not something they had in abundance.

"Yeah," Belle nodded. "I will establish the connection, but," she hesitated looking sadly at the taller woman beside her, "I think you need to find the memory we need and retrieve it. Like with Pongo."

Belle frowned and looked away. Being the object of suspicion all the time hurt. It was heavy and wearing her down. She could only imagine how Rumple felt after centuries of this. She ached for what had been: people accepting her smile with open hearts and believing in the goodness she offered. Would they ever look at her that way again?

Emma nodded, "Agreed. I'm ready."

With the dreamcatcher in one hand, she took Emma's hand with the other. Belle expected her to flinch or pull away, but to her credit, she did no such thing. Emma firmly held Belle's hand with determination on her features.

The Dark One sat on the low stone retaining wall chewing the ends of his hair. She had never seen Rumple do that or anything like it. Belle looked away trying not to dwell on that thought.

The focus she needed to reach into the tree through the dreamcatcher came easily and the rush of power made her feel strong and certain. It took less than a second for the kaleidoscope of colored memories to set the dreamcatcher alight. 

"Ok, Emma, find what we need."

***

Rumple had lost a total of eight petals by the time Emma and Regina were able to cut short their lunch with the Queen. Belle, instead of researching, had spent the time talking to him, telling him of what they had seen in Merlin's memories, of how painful she now knew the ostracism he had lived most of his life must have been for him. She begged him to hang on, at least long enough to let her get Merlin free. She needed the heroes to let her use the wand so she could return to him.

It was clear to Belle now that she probably had less than a day left before he died alone back in Storybrooke if she did not return.

"You were right." Regina threw the door open and stomped in. "That revolting little cretin has his wife enthralled with the Sands of Avalon given to her by your charming husband."

Hot on Regina's heals, Emma's face was twisted like a dishrag with the rage of a thunderhead. "I don't think I've ever seen something so disgusting, so gross, in my entire life. And I chased dirtbags for a living!"

Belle continued to massage the glass containing the rose, she asked carefully, "What effect does it have on her, exactly? Could you figure that out?"

"It makes her think she loves him and supports his every twisted whim. I've seen bad magic in my day, but this is a cut above on the scale of cookies to curses." Regina bit out.

"That's how you measure?" Emma muttered quickly under her breath but then went on, "We've got to help her out. Somehow. I have no idea how, but we can't leave her like that."

Belle nodded, "I agree, but Emma, here's where I truly get where you were coming from. With Lacey, I mean. We need to help Merlin first. Besides which, he might be able to help her. And at some point soon, I will need to go back to Storybrooke and heal Rumple. He's looking worse and worse. If I wait too long..." Belle trailed off as her throat closed over the words.

"Right," Emma shifted uncomfortably before she pulled the little dreamcatcher from her pocket, "the sooner we free Merlin, the sooner he tells us how to destroy the Dark One and then we can help Rumple and Guinevere."

The three gathered around and Emma called up what she and Belle had seen earlier for Regina's benefit.

"He was trapped as a tree by a Dark One. Didn't see that coming." Regina murmured softly. "Let me see that again."

Regina took the dreamcatcher, squinted at it for a second, and then replayed the moments just before the Dark One trapped Merlin.

"It used his tear to trap him." Regina made a snatching motion and smiled like she had solved the riddle.

"So? How does that help us? Regina, what does that mean?" Emma focused on her friend.

"Sometimes, the antidote requires a bit of the poison. What we need is a tear of lost love. A potent one." Regina was grinning as if existential heartbreak such as what they had just witnessed was as easy to come by as a burned piece of toast.

"Whose heart do you plan to break to get that?" Emma scoffed. "I don't volunteer and your gown from last night already went to the laundry."

"Oh!" Belle exclaimed and reached into her pocket. "Mine will suffice."

Her eyes stung and she gently set Rumple's pocket square on the workbench beside the dreamcatcher.

Regina passed her hand over the square of silk and then looked back at Belle. "Yes it will, but let's get a fresh one while we've got the chance."

Before she could realize what Regina meant, Regina dabbed at the corner of Belle's eye.

"I need about half an hour to assemble the ingredients, less if you both make yourselves useful. Let's go de-tree a wizard."

***

Half an hour turned into late afternoon. Belle did not want to start counting the petals left on the stem but before long, it would make more sense to do so. She had to go before the sun rose the next morning.

"Got it!" Regina crowed.

"Finally! What happened to half an hour? Arthur's going to get back any time now so we need to get on with this if we don't want an audience." Emma's irritation had mounted with the afternoon heat.

The stuffiness in the tower was only made worse by fire heating the cauldron and the numerous smaller flames devoted to glass flasks scattered all over the room. Regina was a messy practitioner when she was anxious and frustrated. Belle had never before appreciated Rumple's organization probably because she had had nothing to compare it to. Now she knew what a neat freak Rumple was about his spell craft despite outward appearances to the contrary.

Regina looked a hot mess with hair sweated to her scalp and soot stained hands, neck and nose. If Belle did not feel the keen impatience of true urgency, it would have been comical, or at least cathartic.

Belle and Emma both had sweated through their light colored gowns hours ago and Emma had burned away a small swath of hers at the right thigh before Belle had been able to neutralize the burning magic. A hot mess, definition, the.

But they had the potion now and they stuck to lesser used corridors to avoid undue attention. Thankfully, the sun had sunk just enough to allow the tall forest to shade Merlin's clearing. All three took a breath and unison in relief at even slightly cooler conditions.

Belle smirked. Then Emma did and finally the frazzled Regina joined them.

She whispered, "We best do this. It requires both light and dark magic and since it was your tear, Belle, the chances of success are better if you provide your half. Can you handle it? Without going all out evil, I mean?"

"I can." Belle did not know if that was a lie, but she chose hope.

Emma snatched her hand and said, "Drop the hanky and let's get down to business."

"I'll keep watch. You've got this!" Regina hissed turning her back on the tree.

Belle fingered the square of silk, soft and rumpled, crusted with her tears. She swiped at her eyes then dropped it into the pot with the rest of Regina's brew.

"What's going on here? Why is the Dark One doing magic near Merlin?" 

Arthur had terrible timing.

"I'll deal with him, get Merlin free!" Regina hissed over her shoulder, then she all but bellowed, "Arthur, you're just in time. We're about to free Merlin."

Belle heard Arthur's company draw swords, "Step away from Merlin, Dark One, or face the consequences!"

But the power had begun to surge out of the potion and she and Emma had to catch it now or it would just dissipate into the world without ever being directed at the tree.

"Now!" Belle gasped breathlessly as she lunged for the escaping power.

The dark half surged into her hand as the light did toward Emma's. They channeled it between them into one stream which shot at the tree like a waterfall at flood stage.

Belle could not make out the shouting over the roar of magic but she saw Emma's sweating face beaming with a ferocious smile and Belle smiled too. It did feel good.

The magic engulfed the tree and swirled into itself, smaller and smaller until at last a fabric covered lump had replaced the ancient tree.

All went quiet.

The gold patterned fabric began to move and then a figure straightened slowly from its crouched position.

A very tall man lowered the hood of his cloak at last looking intently at them. He was handsome and all in shades of chocolate.

"Merlin?" Emma croaked from beside her.

"Hello, Emma. Hello, Belle." He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. "Thank you." Before Belle could respond, Merlin turned his attention to Arthur, "You, however, are a disappointment."

"A disappointment? You ruined my life!" Arthur yelled, turning red as the spittle flew from his mouth, "You sent me on an impossible quest with false prophesies!"

The king began to draw his sword again but Merlin dismissed him, "Put that away Arthur, we both know that broken sword can't hurt me."

Arthur hesitated for a second and then ran back toward his castle with his men following behind.

Belle blinked and came to the hasty conclusion that the welcome mat had just been yanked. And that the staff and rose were still inside the castle. She disappeared.

Her first stop had been her room for the staff and she was glad she had made that choice because when she reappeared in the tower workroom, she could hear boots pounding up the steps. She snatched the rose and vanished back to where Emma, Merlin and Regina were in earnest conversation.

"Where's Grumpy. We need to summon her. I knew she couldn't have that dagger. I didn't want to believe it but-"

"No need to summon me." Belle stated flatly as she strode across the grass toward the group. She did not hide her displeasure at what she had just overheard.

"Where did you- oh." Regina looked relieved and Merlin was smiling warmly at her. "Of course. That'll teach you to leave your magic lying around." With that, Regina pulled the Apprentice's wand from her sleeve as if to verify it was there before frowning at Emma.

"Sorry, Belle, I didn't think about that-"

"It's fine, Emma. But we need to leave. Now. Are they-" Belle cut herself off seeing that in fact the rest of their party had followed Arthur into the clearing when he had arrived.

"My place?" Regina suggested. 

Nods all around. A cloud of purple smoke and then cool flagstones beneath her slippers felt good as they arrived.

"Your place?" Merlin looked quizzically at Regina.

Regina looked entirely guilty then sheepish before she spread her hands to explain, "There was a curse, I may have been involved, but I'm reformed now."

"She is!" Henry piped up.

Merlin chuckled, then laughed for a few moments, "I just spent better than a millennia as a tree for a mistake I made, who am I to judge? I'm Merlin and you are?"

Regina gave Merlin a radiant and grateful smile, "Regina, and this is..."

Belle did not listen to the rest of the introductions, all her attention focused now on the rose. At least half his petals had fallen and the stem had begun to draw in on itself with deep creases forming along its green length. He was dying.

"And who is that?" Merlin had stopped in front of her and was pointing at the rose.

"My husband Rumplestiltskin, and the former Dark One." Merlin's image appeared distorted through her tears.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. There are only a few ways to pass on the curse of the Dark One and none leave the previous Dark One alive." Merlin's words were slow, patient and deliberate.

So Belle briefly explained the situation.

"Grandma's a hero." Henry finished for her when she stopped speaking.

"That part, I already knew, Henry." Merlin's affection and warmth seeped under Belle's scales and began to truly sooth her worries.

"Belle, we have a lot to talk about and I am somewhat desperate to stretch my legs, would you care to join me for a walk?"

Belle nodded and followed Merlin from Regina's entrance hall and out into the palace grounds.

"Is there any other reason to retrieve the spark?" Belle sat in the gathering evening underneath a trellis overburdened with blooming wisteria beside Merlin. "After I kiss Rumple, there will be no need for you to take the risk that I could fail, that, that-" Belle could not finish the sentence and make the thought real.

The sun had nearly set and vibrant hues laced their way across the western sky. Merlin was looking in that direction and not at her. "True Love's Kiss will destroy the curse of the Dark One," he confirmed softly, "unless it doesn't. You may very well still have true love with your husband, but love isn't the only factor in breaking this curse."

"I assure you, I have no desire to be the Dark One." Belle looked away from Merlin's face and toward the sunset herself. 

The Dark One had draped himself on a stone bench and was watching the proceedings through heavily lidded eyes. He had not made a peep in the hour's worth of discussion until now. He said, "I don't buy it."

Merlin dropped his gaze from the sky and said, "What you purchase is your business, but Belle is not for sale."

Belle turned her startled look on Merlin, "You can see him?"

"Unfortunately. It comes with the territory."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Too painful, bad memories, and good ones. I think you understand."

She did. Very much so. Deciding to ignore the Dark One, she returned to their previous topic, "The only way I know of for True Love's Kiss to fail is if the cursed person wants the curse. I don't. Is there another reason it could fail?"

Merlin looked at his hands, "No, that is the reason. But the decision to give up a curse is not the same as not wanting it. That's the trap and why he looks so smug." Merlin waved a dismissive hand in the direction of the lounging figure across from them. Belle started to object but Merlin went on, "Maybe someday, there will be someone born who can use the power of the Dark One for good, who will be able to resist the way it twists and warps thought and mind. It's like a vine with hooked thorns and it wiggles into the smallest crevices to take hold, to grow and widen those gaps, bit by bit over time. It is very, very patient."

"Are you saying that that person could be me? That I could wield this power for good?"

"You can't think that way, Belle!" Merlin's face wrinkled into pleading lines and angles, "That's his way in. It does not matter how or why you want him, only that you do. And even with the spark, I can only help you destroy the darkness when you are ready to let go of it." He took her hands and stared directly into her eyes. "Right now, you have a powerful motivator to keep your power. He lies dying far away. The question is, if you can and do save him, will you find another reason to keep the power, and another? I am not judging you, I promise you that, but in order for us to succeed, we need you to consider that it could fail. To have that long and honest conversation with yourself about what has happened to you."

Belle said nothing as the light faded at last. The first few stars had winked alight and the insects had begun singing their night tunes softly. "Why are you willing to risk you own life to retrieve the spark for only a chance that I will be able to light it and destroy the darkness?"

"For the same reason I don't judge you for wanting to keep the power. Because of an arrogant mistake I made, thinking myself above harm, above wrong decisions. I'm the reason the Dark One exists at all. Your suffering is my fault." He murmured.

"I don't blame you for being unable to kill the woman you loved. Or for trusting her. And I don't blame you for the Dark One."

"That gives me great hope, Belle. You could be the one to help me put paid to this responsibility. You have a kind heart and it makes you strong." Merlin had kept one of her hands in his and stroked his thumb lightly over her knuckles, comforting.

"I will try not to disappoint you." Belle said, squeezing his hand.

"I have been putting my faith in the wrong people for quite awhile now, but I have hope for you."

They sat in silence as the last of the light faded from the land. The Dark One stayed as he was, like a bad joke of a statue.

"Can I ask you something?" Belle kicked at the dirty hem of her skirt.

"Of course."

"You told Arthur that the Savior would free you. Did you not see my role in it? Or did you just not tell Arthur that part because he was a loose canon?" Belle searched his face with curiosity.

"Thank you for not just assuming I was wrong, I appreciate your faith in me." Merlin chuckled, white teeth catching the dim illumination of dusk. "But you are making an assumption. You assume that when I said Savior, that I was not referring to yourself."

Belle blinked at this, "I'm sorry, but Emma's the Savior. I'm the Dark One. Practically polar opposites. I don't understand."

"A Savior is more about what a person does than their situation in life. And what have you done recently? Saved a dying man, saved an embarrassed man and you will try your best to save yet another in the very near future. Sounds like Savior behavior to me."

Torches began springing to light around the grounds and Belle did not know what to say.

She glanced down at the rose beside her and gasped. Five petals remained. Her hand landed on the glass in an instant. His heart was so slow now. 

"Rumple!" Belle whirled back to Merlin, "I can't wait any longer. I need that wand so I can save him."

"Go, the spark and I will be here when you get back."

Belle dimly knew Merlin had risen to follow her but she transported herself directly into the servants' hall where the others were finishing their meal.

"Regina, I need to borrow the wand now so that I can go and save Rumple. It's time." Belle all but shouted.

Emma sprang to her feet, "That's our ride home, you can't just give that to her."

"I give you my word I will come back for you after I heal Rumple. I'll bring him with me and we'll kiss in front of you to prove we have destroyed the darkness. Please, Regina, I need to heal him."

"I'd feel more comfortable going with Merlin's plan. Destroying the darkness is more important than anything else." Regina said holding up her hands placatingly.

"Considering what you were willing to risk to save the man you love, how can you even say that to me?" Belle planted both hands on the table and stared Regina down.

"Regina, there must be another alternative. Belle needs to stay here and go get her spark, could you do it? Could you heal Rumplestiltskin?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, I could, the staff you made should work as well for me as for you. Maybe better since I know what I'm doing." Regina clearly thought this was some kind of reasonable alternative.

"No!" Belle declared, "I need to be with him, especially if it doesn't work. And I have true love on my side which you don't. That could make the difference. I have to go and save him."

"I'm sorry Belle, but we just can't take the chance that once you've saved him, you'll change your mind about destroying the darkness." Regina licked her lips and looked down at the table, "Even if I went with you, if the darkness took you, there would be nothing I could do about it and the realms would have an empowered Dark One with a ticket to anywhere. And if I took Leroy as an insurance policy, you'd kill him, then me, then you'd have your ticket to ride and the dagger. The safest thing for the most people is for you to stay here and go find the flame with Merlin tomorrow. Belle, I'm so sorry. If he could hang on just one more day, we'd have the flame and we could all go back to Storybrooke together, heal him and then Merlin could help you destroy the darkness."

"You really think my healing Rumple is going to be the thing that makes me go dark?" Belle could not believe what she was hearing.

"I think, considering your appearance and the amount of dark magic you used today, and enjoyed -don't deny it- that anything could be the final push you need to lose it. I don't want to risk you and all the realms for the sake of one centuries old man you might not even be able to save at all. That's not a reasonable risk."

Belle whirled to face Merlin who had arrived and leaned against the wall, brows deeply drawn, "Can you take me? You can help me hold on if I get into trouble."

His mouth fell open and his face drew down in sadness, "I cannot. Being a tree has weakened me and right now I couldn't magic my way out of a teakettle. A few days from now with the wand, yes, but my recovery will take time."

The Dark One walked blithely up behind Merlin and flicked his ear with a gleeful grin of gloating triumph. Merlin made a swatting motion which he dodged.

Belle felt her face begin to crumple and tears blurred her vision. She dashed from the room and back out into the garden.

***

"Maybe you should let her go." Merlin said softly after Belle had disappeared. "How do you know this isn't what pushes her into darkness?"

"You're the one who sees the future, tree-boy, you tell me." Regina snapped. The decision had been hard enough without being second guessed by a glorified shrub.

The tall wizard sighed where he leaned against the stonework. "The future is a complicated thing-"

"Of course it is! It's clear enough when you prop up an insecure tyrant with half a sword, but it's all hazy now? How convenient." Hook growled.

"There are many possible paths at this point, would you prefer I guessed and sent you on your merry way? Little things are clearer more quickly than the big things. And this is a big thing. I still see a chance to destroy the darkness, but there are other, less sunny outcomes possible as well." Merlin sounded very much like he was trying to be patient.

Regina slammed a hand down on the table with a crack. "Damn it, she's the Dark One and we can't hand her our only way home."

"You know what? I'll go talk to her. While we all sit around trying to decide her fate, it might already be being decided for us. It might be best if she's not alone right now." Robin said evenly. He squeezed her shoulder as he rose from his chair beside her.

"Finally, some good sense." Merlin grumbled sarcastically.

"Oh excellent, you do get angry. I was beginning to worry you really were above us all." Regina ground her teeth. It was the smooth calm people that worried her the most, they were the least trust worthy.

"It's just that I prefer not to make decisions with my anger, Regina. You could try that." Then Merlin called over his shoulder to the retreating Robin, "Try the gardens, we were just there."

"And what would you have us do?" Regina demanded.

"You could try a little trust-"

"You want me to trust the Dark One? The very same being that turned me into a monster so dark that I killed my own father just three stories up from here? Trust that beast? It treed you for a thousand years!" She had had more than enough of this slick tongued, arrogant lawn ornament.

"Regina!" Emma insisted, "This is getting us nowhere. There were still petals left, maybe enough to make it. You don't know. We should all try to get some rest and make an early start tomorrow if we're to go get that spark and try to save Gold."

***

"There, there dearie," the Dark One purred, his fingers ran up and down her back and she could feel his claws scraping the fabric every so often, "you'll think of something. You always do."

Belle sat on the bench tightly curled around the glass jar with the staff beside her. His heartbeat felt fainter to her now and she whispered, "Rumple, I need you to hold on until I can get to you. You probably feel so very tired, how easy it would be to just let go. But please don't. Please don't leave me like this. I love you and I don't want to do this without you. Be strong, I know you have it in you."

She kissed the smooth glass, cooler now than it had been. When she did, she felt his heart speed up just a little before it slipped back down to where it had been before. Her tears slid down the surface of the jar.

"Well come on now, dearie, you don't have time for this!" The Dark One whined in her ear, "I can help. See, all you have to do is kill the dwarf in his sleep, take the dagger, then kill my former protege and take the wand. Easy."

"I'm not killing anyone!" Belle shouted and planted a hand on the Dark One's chest to shove him away.

"Well, I'm relieved to hear that." Robin's voice said as he slowly approached in the flickering torchlight.

Belle startled and swiped at her tears, coldly she growled, "What do you want?"

"I thought maybe you could use someone to talk to and it seems I was right because it sounds like you just received some bad advice. Which I'm glad you don't intend to take. May I sit?" Robin gestured to where the Dark One had his face set in a smarmy snarl.

"Yes, please do."

The Dark One was forced to scramble to the side or be sat on. He said coldly, "How rude."

Belle ignored that.

"Is there a chance that Rumple might make it until we have the spark at least?" Robin began softly after a moment of silence.

Belle looked down at the rose in her lap, "I seriously doubt it. His heart has slowed down and the glass is cooler now. I don't think he will last the night. And waiting until the last minute means he has that much less strength to give. It makes no sense. I-"

Belle cut herself off to stare at him. The Dark One's cheshire grin gleamed in the light of the torches around them.

"You," Belle said softly and she leaned closer to Robin, "I can save you too."

"What?" Robin leaned away a fraction, on his guard at her change in demeanor.

"Tell me, can you feel it?" Belle asked him.

"Feel what, precisely?" Robin's voice hitched up, his uncertainty and fear coming to the foreground.

"Since I healed you, do you, is anything different?"

"What did you do to me?" Robin asked stiffly.

"I healed you, but," Belle looked down at her hands, "the price of magic remains unpaid. Can you feel that?"

Robin's sudden intake of breath was loud in the quiet nighttime courtyard. "I've been cold, it's summer but somehow I don't feel warm. And, it feels as if I'm always late for something."

Belle reached out and rested a hand on Robin's and it was clear he was trying not to pull it away. She minded her claws as she squeezed gently looking into his eyes, "Robin, the price of magic for healing you, is a life. A life for a life."

"Why did you do it then?" Robin jerked his hand away in horror. "Who did you kill?"

"No one!" Belle insisted hastily, then, leaning toward him, "I thought I could find away around it and save you too. A loophole, as Rumple would call it."

"And you think you've found one? Or are you about to kill me?" Robin's nostrils flared and he looked torn between running and facing a threat.

"Please, Robin, listen." Belle said as calmly as she could manage. "I cannot pay the unpaid price of magic, the price is Regina's to pay, because she asked for it. She asked for the magic, she has to pay."

"I won't let her hurt anyone. I'll take whatever comes."

"That's just it, Robin, there is away out where you get to live, no one dies, and Regina pays the price of magic." Belle whispered urgently.

"How and what do you mean I get to live?"

"When the price of magic is a life, if it goes unpaid too long, a fury from the Underworld will arrive and drag you back with it." Belle let that sink in for a moment then she said, "But the price of magic is a life and you can get Regina to save one. That would pay the price of magic."

"Rumplestiltskin." Robin breathed.

"Steal the wand, Regina pays the price and you get to live."

"I could always just ask her, explain the situation. Why steal it? She'll give it to me. I'm sure."

"If she does it voluntarily it's not a price, is it? You die," Belle whispered. "This is your one chance."

Robin licked his lips, "And after I do this, you go back to Storybrooke and heal Rumplestiltskin and just leave us here? Is that the price Regina pays, the loss of her kingdom, as it were?"

"No, I already promised to return for you and I will. Regina will pay a different price, and unfortunately, you'll pay it with her." Belle thought of the little vile of sleeping powder in Rumple's cabinet. His notes said he had made it from the sleeping curse for shorter durations. Belle inhaled and the vial appeared in her hand.

"You have to sprinkle this on her, don't get any on yourself. This powder will keep Regina asleep for a day. It won't hurt her. When she is asleep, you steal the wand and bring it to me." Belle clinked a claw against the glass vial.

"That's it? Regina's price of magic is a rest she badly needs? I don't believe it."

Belle nodded, "The price of magic is what happens when she wakes up and you've betrayed her trust."

Robin was silent, understanding now. Eventually he said, "She will forgive me, after I explain."

Belle frowned sadly at him, "I certainly hope so for your sake, Robin. For both of your sakes. But there's a little more. I need you to bring me the wand within an hour. If you don't, I will have to do this myself and the price of magic will remain unpaid. I cannot wait."

"I understand."

Belle gripped the vial in her hand for a second, focused, and when she reopened her palm, two vials lay within where only one had been before. She pocketed one vial and then held the other out to Robin, "This is far more than you'll need, so just a sprinkle, we don't want to take any chances. I'll see you in an hour. Don't be late."

Robin swallowed and licked his lips, then he gripped the vial tightly in his fist, "One hour, and you come back for us."

"It's a deal." Belle said solemnly as he rose to his feet.

Belle waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps to disappear.

***

"I was about to come find you," Regina was seated before a mirror in her room when Robin came in. "I probably should not have left you alone with her so long, but I was arguing with that deciduous magic snob. Are you alright? Is she?"

Regina rose and came over to stroke his face.

"I'm fine and I talked her into and early bedtime in hopes of having enough time to retrieve the spark," Robin lied and it felt greasy and wrong.

"Then you did what I couldn't. I love you," Regina snuggled the bridge of her nose in to fit under his jaw and Robin held her tightly, rocking them both.

"I love you too, Regina. So, so very much. And don't you ever forget that," Robin could not help adding the last part even knowing that he had to be careful with what he said.

"I won't. I promise." Regina sighed, "Let's do get some rest, I have a feeling we're going to need it." She disentangled herself from him and returned to brushing her hair.

Robin saw his chance as she closed her eyes at the feeling of the brush. Creeping up close behind her he carefully unstoppered the vial. Not daring to breathe, he tapped the small glass container once and a mote of shimmering dark navy dust settled onto the bare skin of Regina's shoulder. She startled, opened her eyes just long enough for him to see the fear and betrayal in the mirror's reflection before the brush clattered to the stones and she slumped forward.

With care, Robin restoppered the vial before he gathered her hastily into his arms choking on a sob into her hair. "I'm so sorry, Regina! Forgive me!"

He cradled her limp form against his and carried her to the bed. He smoothed the creases from the dress she had worn today and arranged her limbs in gentle repose. Her nightgown lay draped over a chaise, waiting, but Robin decided against it in the interest of time. He could take care of that later. 

Her hair he stroked over and over, hoping it would not be the last time he did so. He had seen the look in her eyes. The hurt, the disbelief, the helplessness as she slipped away from him.

Robin knew he had just trusted the Dark One to give him magic that would not kill Regina. No, he had trusted Belle, he told himself firmly. A tear hit Regina's senseless face and rolled into her hairline. He had bent halfway toward kissing her when he stopped.

Could there be a chance that he and Regina were true love? An anguished sob escaped him. If they were and he kissed her, the spell would be broken and the price of magic would go unpaid.

So Robin did not kiss the woman he loved but instead, reached into her sleeve to the small sewn in sheath which held the Apprentice's wand and stole it from her.

Belle was waiting for him on her bench in the garden.

"You better keep your word. You better come back for us." Robin growled at her. He held out the wand.

To his surprise, Belle ignored the wand and engulfed him in a solid hug, "Thank you Robin! You're going to live. And I promise, even if, even if Rumple dies, I will come back here for you. No more than three days, less if I can manage it." Then she stood away from him and looked up solemnly, only a little of that might have been a lie, "I am sorry for what you just had to do, but you just saved more than your own life. You have given me a chance to save the man I love. And you've given me your trust, which means more to me than I can say."

"At the cost of breaking Regina's." Robin said in a tight voice.

"I know and I'm sorry for what you just had to do. But trust can be repaired. If anyone can do it, it's you and Regina. Now I must go. But Robin," she said as she took the wand from his hand, "don't forget to forgive yourself."

In a flash of light, a wooden door with stained glass windows appeared and Belle stepped through and out of his sight.

"I pray I did the right thing. Please, gods, tell me I did the right thing," Robin begged the night sky.


	4. Act IV

The portal did not take her to the shop. But it did take her to Rumple.

The sight of him there, laying in a hospital bed, made her throat constrict: bags of fluid hung by the head of his bed and from there, clear tubing snaked to a place on the side of his neck stuck down with some kind of clear adhesive patch. Another tube protruded from between his chapped lips and his skin looked a sickening shade of yellow.

But she was not given the chance to take in the gruesome sight any further before a shrilly alarmed voice startled her, "Oh my gods! How did you get that? Where is everyone else?"

It was Mary Margaret. A blanket slid the rest of the way off her as she hastily stood.

"No time, they're fine in the Enchanted Forest." Belle murmured hastily as she set the rose on the bed and found Rumple's floppy hand with her own. "Rumple, I'm going to save you."

"Why aren't they with you?" Mary Margaret demanded, "Help! I need help in here-"

Belle gagged her with magic and the sound stopped but she kept flailing around so Belle had to wrap her up in invisible rope and put her back on the chair to dispense with the distraction.

"Rumple," Belle had tears in her eyes, "I'm here and I'm going to help you. I need you to fight with everything you have to come back to me. I need you to want to be here with me. I need you to be here and love me."

She wrapped his hand around the staff and lay it back down on a pillow in the bed before she took hold of the staff herself. On a deep breath in she focused, imagined him whole and strong and the loving father he had been all those years ago. Gentle yellow light began to seep into him as it radiated from the staff.

"That's it Rumple, lean on the strength of my love to find yourself. I know you can do this."

As she watched, color came back to his face and his breathing deepened, pulling against the machine. A glance at the rose showed petals flying back up onto the stem like a tiny dust devil had sprung to life inside the jar. The petals began to glow with a more vibrant red and the stem itself seemed to fatten into a brilliant green.

But with all the petals back on the stem, he did not wake.

"Rumple, wake up. Come back to me, hear my voice." But Belle got no response. On instinct she looked back at Mary Margaret whose eyes were bulging as she flicked her gaze between Rumple and Belle. She should let her go, but no, she would just try to interfere.

"Well, well, well, all she needs is a little seasoning, a few chopped onions and she'll be ready for the oven. An elegant job trussing up that bird." The Dark One's heels clicked on the tiles as he paced toward the restrained woman on her chair.

Belle blew out a breath in frustration, "Why isn't he awake?"

"I'd have thought that was rather obvious. You have to break the Apprentice's spell. Only one way for you to do that." Rotten teeth gleamed as the Dark One smiled at her before he pursed his lips and made kiss-kiss sounds. The smile his lips relaxed back into could only be described as predatory.

"You want me to destroy you? Because that is what will happen if I kiss him."

"If you do that, you'll break the deal with your friends. Do you know what happens when you break a magical deal?"

Belle shook her head.

"Best not to find out. Go on, kiss him then, what are you waiting for? You have to make a choice, keep your deal or he dies." His hand pressed against the frill of his cravat.

Then Belle understood, she had to make the same choice Rumple had made all those years ago, to hang onto the curse at the moment it could have been destroyed. If she destroyed the Dark One and let go of her powers, her deal would be broken and the backlash would be Rumple's death.

Tears coursed down Belle's cheeks. Not a choice at all, really.

Clutching the staff tightly, Belle leaned over and pressed her lips to his beside the tube.

Dizziness seized her and she heard him coughing and gagging around the tube. It felt to her like all the air had been sucked from the room and her senses were fading away. Desperation shot through Belle and she stared in anguish at the broadly smiling Dark One. A second before she thought she would lose consciousness and be dragged under, Belle found the root of the curse in her mind and seized it with all her might.

The world rushed back and she pitched forward onto Rumple's belly in a heap.

A hand pushed her hair out of her face and she opened her eyes.

Concerned brown ones, full of tears, stared back into hers for a second before his other hand was clawing at the fastener holding the tube in place.

"Rumple, I love you, wait a second," Belle grabbed for his other hand as she righted herself. "Just wait a moment and let them take it out. Ok?"

Rumple nodded and slowed his breathing, though he gagged again.

"It's ok, everything's going to be ok." Belle pushed his hair from his eyes and stroked his cheek, and then froze. Her hand had long black claws and golden scales glinting in the eerie light given off by the multitude of beeping machines.

Tears spilled down her cheeks making her realize she was crying and she yanked her hands away from him to turn them over and over. Horror on her face she clenched her fists and felt the bite of her claws.

Rumple's lips were moving, he was shaking his head and reaching for her. Belle choked before admitting to herself that she already knew the choice she had just made, that this should not come as a surprise. 

His hand caught one of hers and he had it to his lips as best he could, eyes never leaving hers.

"What the hell is going on in here?" A nurse Belle did not recognize came flying through the door. She stopped dead at the sight of Belle. "What the? Who? Oh my gods what did you do?"

Her round eyes were fixed just off to the side of Rumple's bed at-

Oh, gods, Mary Margaret!

Belle had completely forgotten her. With her free hand, Belle snapped and released her. "Mary Margaret, I am so sorry I had to do that, but I couldn't wait to heal him, he nearly died. As soon as we can, we'll go back and get the others, I promise!" Belle pleaded with the scared looking school teacher.

Mary Margaret stared long and hard at Belle, then shifted her gaze to where Rumple held her hand against his lips still kissing her as best he could. She said nothing and hastily departed.

The harried looking nurse brushed by Mary Margaret on her way out of the room, "Hey! Who are you? You need to check in at the nurses' station before you can visit."

"I really don't. I'm his wife." Belle frowned.

"His wife?" The nurse stared hard at Belle and then her eyes widened further, though Belle would have sworn that was impossible, "You're Belle? Oh man, that looks bad. I mean, you don't look bad, it's just-"

"The ventilator?" Belle suggested swallowing the residual thickness of her tears. She would hear his voice very soon and if he was strong enough, she would take them both home for the night. The Dark One, watching the proceedings with interest licked his lips when he caught her eye. Damn him.

The nurse, Jackie by the name tag, nudged in beside her and Rumple pulled her hand to rest over his beating heart while the nurse worked. After some fiddling and unfastening, Jackie said to Rumple, "When I pull the tube you will cough and probably gag so just expect that, it will pass so just try to breathe slowly and stay as calm as you can. Are you ready?"

Rumple gave a small nod and she pulled the tube.

He did splutter and choke and he clutched Belle's hand hard for a second as he gagged but he mastered himself quickly.

"Belle!" he croaked, but it was his voice. "Oh, Belle."

He pulled her practically into bed with him, crushing her to his chest. He sobbed and coughed and clutched her. And she did the same. Neither one of them spoke or moved to adjust the embrace for a long moment.

Belle finally stood back just enough to brush their noses together before lowering her lips to his. This time no wave of dizziness took her, no sense of her magic draining away. It was just a kiss. Albeit a beautiful one. His lips stroked and held hers tenderly and his hands buried themselves in her hair. All the tension and fear, worry and anxiety melted into the warmth of his lips on hers. How long had it been since they had kissed like this for real?

The recent turmoil oozed away and evaporated into the past. All that mattered now was the rushing of her blood in response to his touch and the pounding of her heart at finally being with her husband. 

There was a cough from beside the bed.

Belle jerked, startled, and looked up at Jackie's arched eyebrows.

"If you don't mind, I need to check him out. I don't know what you did, but he looks better." Jackie admonished.

"I am better, now, she healed me. If you would please start by removing the undignified intrusion into my bladder, I would greatly appreciate it." Rumple stated in a flat voice, if politely.

Undignified did not begin to cover what she saw when Jackie pulled back the sheets.

An hour later, Belle had Rumple dressed in his suit and signed out against medical advice, but he told them, explicitly, thanks for the care, but they could shove their advice.

Belle had not seen any sign of the Dark One since that kiss.

With his hand in hers, they walked out into the cool night air, Rumple walking with the aid of his notched staff.

Rumple took a deep breath and let it go, "Belle, I love you."

"I love you too, Rumple."

"Will you take us home?"

"Gods yes!" Belle gestured with her free hand and they reappeared in the front hall of the old Victorian mansion.

They stood their a moment, listening to the quiet sounds of air rushing through the house, of the breeze outside, and rustling leaves. Neither one of them moved and they held hands tightly.

"I thought I was going to die, Belle." He murmured at last looking down from where he stood beside her. "Thank you for saving my life. Though that hardly seems adequate, considering the obvious cost."

"I couldn't let it take you, destroy you."

He swept her into a hug, dropping his staff, "My brave Belle." He began to rock them but he hissed when he put too much weight on his injured ankle.

"Oh, I can take care of that." In a flash and a gesture the old injury was nothing more than a memory.

"Thank you Belle. You saved me. Again." She could feel wetness in her hair along with his puffing breaths as he held her. She held him back as tightly.

"How does it feel? Rumple? To have a pure heart?" Belle whispered after she worked up the courage.

She did not get an immediate answer, but at last he said, "I feel so light. Like I will float away at any moment. But I never, ever, would have wanted this cost." His hand fisted in the fabric of her skirt and the other tightened around her ribs. "I am so sorry, Belle. Just one more way I have wronged you."

"My choice, Rumple. Nobody chooses my fate but me. You were my choice and so was this." With her nose buried in his neck, her words were muffled slightly. "You've fought the darkness for so long. I never knew how tough you are. This struggle!" She paused massaging him for a moment, "If anything, I should have helped you more than I did. But the truth is, as much as I hate to admit it, I just didn't know how hard you were working, even just to hang on. Gods!" Belle sniffled, "I sent you away because you took a wrong turn instead of helping you come back to yourself."

Belle had to stop as earnest tears choked off her words.

"Not your fault. Never your fault, Belle, you have done more for me than I ever deserved." She could hear his own tears in his voice.

"But now, now I know how much you needed me and what I could have done to help you, because, because I need you now. I need you more than I even know how to say. I'm so afraid, all the time and he chatters at me constantly, gnawing away at my heart like a demonic chipmunk!" Belle's voice hitched.

"Demonic chipmunk? Oh Belle, I knew I should never have given you that library. Either one of them." He was still crying, but she could hear the levity in his voice.

"How were you still you? After centuries of this?" Wishing she did not sound so desperate did not make it so.

"That's just it, I wasn't me anymore, had not been since I lost Bae. Until you. You saw past the darkness when even I no longer could." His hand stroked her hip, "Belle, you have me. I know who you are and I will be here for you. No matter what." Rumple kissed her hair.

Belle just clung to him, grateful for his solid warmth and the strong arms holding her firmly to this reality. 

"Belle," his voice purred gently into her ear, "there is a matter we need to discuss though."

She pulled back in alarm and searched his eyes for a new threat. "What is it?"

His face held a sternness that made her nervous, "There are certain expectations we need to address. Your gown is dirty and your hair is a mess. We Golds have an image to maintain and I am afraid you simply cannot continue in this manner. For myself, I haven't showered in days and my suit is creased appallingly."

His eyes were twinkling by the end of it and her mouth had fallen open in mock indignation.

"After what I had to go through to get here at all, to save you, you are complaining about my looks? If this is what a pure heart does to you, I want none of it!" Belle planted her hands on her hips.

"Oh really? Not even the shower?" Rumple did not wait for a reply before kissing her until they were both panting. "Shall we?"

Though the house may have been quite antique, the amenities in their bathroom were not. Not for the first time, Belle appreciated the facing jets of hot water which warmed her skin, scales now, as she massaged shampoo into Rumple's hair and when he returned the favor. Speaking of scales, though Belle thought he had always hated his, hers seemed to please him no end. He would not stop running his fingers this way and that, following their path with his eyes.

She could not say she objected in the least.

Snuggled in their bathrobes afterwards, Belle kissed Rumple leisurely, nibbling at him until he chuckled.

"Sweetheart, as much as I am enjoying this, I am now a mortal man and it is quite late. I've had a bit of a rough few days," he murmured against her mouth.

That would be the precise moment the pounding began.

"If they break my stained glass, there will be hell to pay!" Rumple snarled and threw open the door to the bathroom in a whoosh of steam.

Belle stalked after him knowing exactly who she was about to deal with.

"Break it and pay for it!" Rumple bellowed as he yanked the door away from a particularly ferocious round of hammering.

David stumbled, suddenly off balance.

Mary Margaret demanded, "Where. Are. They."

A searing white anger flashed through Belle, "Asleep in their beds in Regina's castle. Right where I left them, safe, snug and asleep. Exactly where I told you." She dripped condescension at the intruders. "Which Rumple should be and you are keeping him from."

"How do we even know they are alive? Emma would never let the Dark One have the wand and leave them behind." David growled. "What have you done with our family?"

"You're absolutely right, they didn't just let me go to save the man I love. They thought trusting me was too much of a risk, that his life was less important than the chance that I might succumb to the darkness. Luckily for me, I had leverage." Belle used her sweet librarian voice to threaten them. "But, I made a deal. I will return for them. As I told you already."

Rumple had a huge grin on his face and his arm wound around her waist, keeping her close. He said mockingly, "I suggest you get off my porch and go to bed. I am certain Belle will be more than happy to let you know when she returns with your loved ones, safe and sound."

"You want to talk about trust?" Mary Margaret started yelling almost before Rumple had finished speaking, "You tied me up with magic! Gods know what you did to our family!"

"You got between me and my dying husband. So yes, I did something about it before it was too late. I should never have had to, though. You know me, my word should have been enough. You should have offered to help me because I deserve the benefit of the doubt." Belle snapped, clenching her teeth. Mary Margaret opened her mouth undoubtedly to further object but Belle never gave her the chance, "And I still deserve the benefit of the doubt. I have told you your family is fine and that I will return for them. Take it and go home."

Belle slammed the door in their faces.

"David! We can't just let her-!"

Belle and Rumple exchanged looks. Were they going to stand there and keep yelling on the other side of the door all night long?

"Mary Margaret, there is nothing we can do!" David insisted, "I know you're scared, but is what she said true? Did you question her when she tried to heal Rumplestiltskin?"

"Yes, but that's not the point-!" Mary Margaret defended.

"It's exactly the point! What has she done since she got back? Promised to return our family, healed her husband and gone home. That's pretty tame as Dark Ones go." David's voice had dropped in pitch and volume.

"She tied me up! She admitted it! Or weren't you listening? Why are you taking her side?" Mary Margaret hissed.

"Whoah, I'm not taking anyone's side, I am just looking at the facts. Did she hurt you?"

Silence.

"Did she hurt you?" David repeated.

Silence.

"Ok, so she has hurt no one and she has the power to level the town if she wanted to." David paused, "What if it had been Emma?"

"What?" Mary Margaret sounded like he had sprouted a second head.

"Just swap Belle for Emma, exact same situation, except also swap Rumple for Hook. How would you have reacted when she appeared looking like, like that?" David's voice sounded more gentle now.

"Oh gods, David. You're right. I'd have hugged Emma and asked if she was ok, tried to help her. But I just. She looked a mess David, Belle looked nothing short of terrifying." Mary Margaret pleaded.

Belle gave Rumple and offended look but he shrugged and nodded in the direction of the closed door. Belle scowled at him and he smiled back warmly.

"Let's just take this one step at a time, starting tomorrow. There is nothing we can do right now." David reassured her.

"Ok, tomorrow." Mary Margaret sounded defeated.

Footsteps retreated from the porch, but before they were out of earshot David said, "You're exhausted, you've been up most of the night with a dying man which is scary enough all by itself. We'll fix this. I promise."

Neither of them moved or spoke for a moment before Rumple said dryly, "Welcome to your new status as town monster. No one will trust you and everyone always wants something they can't afford with the added bonus of disturbing you at all hours to demand it for free. It will be ok, Belle."

His hand stroked her cheek at the unhappiness he undoubtedly saw in her face.

Dawn pinkened the sky a few short hours later.

Belle had actually dropped off in Rumple's embrace for perhaps half an hour and it felt like waking after the best rest she had ever had in the finest bed ever made. She knew Rumple had not slept much as Dark One, and now she knew that he did not even require it. She had always worried about how little time he spent asleep, an hour at most after they made love. But now, if he felt like this after that little rest, she understood why he had never attempted any more.

Her body buzzed with restless energy and her mind whirled with her plans for the day.

Rumple had told her she did not have to stay with him all night. but Belle could not imagine leaving him alone in slumber. At least not yet. Being near him cleared her mind, let it move faster and with an elegant purposefulness unclouded by the Dark One's near constant intrusions. He was now her refuge.

Though she wished it had been otherwise, Rumple woke only an hour after dawn and rolled immediately to face her. His eyes fastened on hers a look of wonder on his face. He stroked her unruly curls and traced the soft scales under her jawline.

Belle had expected at least some discomfort or even disappointment at her cursed state, but it was like he did not even see the rotting teeth or infected eyes. Instead she felt as she always had when he looked at her like that. She felt like his wife, someone he very much wanted to look at. Like he could see right through the veil of darkness.

"I am so happy right now," he whispered. "Maybe things are different, but any morning I wake up to you is a happy one."

"Everything is better with you near," she whispered back.

He kissed her slowly, tenderly like this was the crowning moment of his life. Belle just let herself revel in his sheer proximity. They had not been this close, this intimate, in so long and she had missed the simplicity of just loving each other.

And it was simple, slow, and deliberate with a consuming passion that had Belle losing herself effortlessly in his arms. 

They lay tangled together afterwards with her ear pressed against his heartbeat and his hand stroking her kinky locks.

She had always known this was possible; it was everything she had dreamed they could have. Belle could not imagine what would have become of her if she had arrived too late and never had this with him.

Or if he had died outside of Storybrooke and never come home.

He felt the wetness on his chest and he murmured softly, "It'll be alright. I love you."

"I love you too, Rumple."

***

Mary Margaret was pacing with the crying baby. She bounced him, but her own agitation was adding fuel to his and he continued to cry. David finished buttering her toast and then reached out for Neal.

His son felt so warm and solid in his arms and, as always, David felt a pang of sadness he never had this with Emma, loud pitiful wails and all. He rocked and shushed and patted while his wife made a half hearted attempt at eating.

When Neal had quieted, David said, "If it comes to it, the fairies will help. They have always been there for us. We will get them back."

"I know David, but I am just so tired of worrying all the time. Of the constant danger and heartache. Do people manage to have boring lives out there," she gestured in the direction of the town line, "without all the magic and strife? I know I was raised to rule a kingdom with magic in it, but David, I don't want to. I mean think about it, Regina does want to rule, Storybrooke is in good hands, we could just, go. We could just go."

"What about Emma and Henry? This is their home." David said softly, concerned.

"Emma doesn't need us to parent her anymore, David. She's all grown up, without us." His wife threw her toast back onto the plate, "And we could visit, it is possible. And they could visit us too. Neal could have a normal life."

"We could do all that, if you decide you really want to. But I think we wouldn't be able to stay away. This place is in our blood, Mary Margaret. We belong here, monsters, magic and all. We'll get her back. Why don't you let me see if Belle will let me go along with her when she goes? You can stay here with Neal and I can go help Emma?"

"I hate being separated, David."

"I know, me too. But I think we'd both feel better knowing that one of us was doing whatever we could to get Emma home." David rested his head atop his son's, savoring his warm baby scent.

"If Belle has any intention of keeping her word. I know I need to give her a chance, but she came back alone with the wand, David, something is wrong." Mary Margaret insisted.

"I know. And I'd like to be there in person to deal with whatever that is."

"Ok. I will hate every second you're gone, but ok." Mary Margaret agreed with moisture pooling in her eyes.

David hugged her on her stool at the bar with the baby between them before he passed his son to his wife and fetched his keys, gun and sword.

The Golds had had enough time to sleep and he could not let them leave without him.

With the truck in park on the street outside the weirdly pink monstrosity, David glanced up and confirmed instantly that the Golds had not in point of fact, left with out him. David hastily looked away resolving both to wait twenty minutes before he knocked and to suggest that they engage their living-room curtains to good effect at their earliest convenience. He drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel.

A subjective eternity later, David forced himself out of the truck and buckled on his sword. He took the front steps two at a time to keep himself from deciding to wait just another twenty minutes. He knocked.

Thankfully, it did not take long for Belle to answer.

It was still a shock to see her like that. The vaguely gold scales and curly hair did not make her ugly, per se, but between the teeth and the eyes, she was definitely off-putting when compared to her former self. 

He swallowed his instinct to just demand she take him with her and instead said, "Good morning, how is Gold feeling?"

"Fine, thank you," the former Dark One came up behind his wife and pulled her against him with his arms around her middle.

Belle had on a pair of tight leather pants and a lace top where her husband wore his habitual dark suit. Off-putting, just no way around it.

"What do you want?" Gold continued when he had been silent too long.

"I want to go with you when you go back for them." David tried to maintain an even tone.

"Fine with me. We're not quite ready yet, there's fresh tea if you want to wait in the kitchen." Belle said.

Was it his imagination, or did Belle sound very much like the Belle he remembered? Colors moved across the floor from the early sunlight streaming through the stained glass when she stepped from her husbands embrace to grant him entry. David took a deep breath and moved past the new Dark One into their lair.

The tea, he should not have been surprised to learn, was a quality rooibus and lavender blend with a great mouth feel. Of course Mr. and Mrs. Dark One had good tea. Shepherd or not, David had come to appreciate tea very quickly during his tenure in court life.

And he was grateful for something to do while he watched Belle fuss over adjusting Gold's sword belt to work with his suit and then snapping a shoulder rig into existence with a puff of light blue smoke for his gun. After she fastened each and every strap and checked them all herself, she fussed with the lay of his suit jacket over the ensemble.

How he managed to make sword plus designer suit something elegant, David would never know, but he did recognize the blatant tenderness with which Gold watched his wife worry over him. They really were true love. Strange as that might seem.

At last he caught her hands in his and tenderly gazed into her eyes, "I will be fine, sweetheart."

She kissed him and for a second David contemplated going back out to the truck to wait, but they finished quickly enough.

Belle turned to him at last, "That's that then. Ready?"

"Let's get this done," David replied standing. As an after thought he added, "Thanks for the tea."

Out on the front lawn Belle held out her hand and the Apprentice's wand materialized. Though he meant to watch Belle closely, the naked look of love and pride on Gold's face made him blink. The man was dewy-eyed watching his wife perform magic, worse than dewy-eyed, he was barely keeping it together unless David missed his guess, all but bursting with his feelings for his wife.

David had no idea Gold could feel like that. He had long ago mentioned that he had loved someone, but even with everything he had seen, it surprised him every time he witness it.

The flash of light from the end of the wand brought David's attention to a wooden door with a thick brace which had now appeared on the lawn.

Gold laughed out loud and David saw him swipe at a tear. Belle kissed his cheek, opened the door and then arched an eyebrow at David, "Coming?"

"Oh, yeah." David hustled through the portal after the Golds.

***

Rumple recognized Regina's former garden even overgrown as it was. The smell of summer wisteria permeated the air of the already warm morning. No longer the Dark One and thus unable to ignore bodily discomforts and inconveniences, he began to regret his choice of clothing immediately. Even the fine weight worsted wool summer suit was too much in three layers. He would have to ask Belle for something else when they had a moment alone.

But what would he wear here now? He would look ridiculous in his Dark One leathers, no longer anything but a man with a sword and gun, and he would still be overdressed for the season.

He refused the instinct to crush Belle's hand in a nervous death grip and forced himself to relax. Unable to tell Belle because she needed his strength, Rumple kept his feelings of frailness to himself. He could feel his age in his joints when he woke up this morning and fatigue too which he had not experienced for hundreds of years. But Belle did not need this burden on top of what he had already inflicted upon her. So Rumple held his wife's hand firmly, supportively and not in any way like a terrified man facing existential dread.

The wand disappeared from Belle's other hand and she squeezed his fingers gently before striding out of the garden with him still firmly held by her side. Charming followed cautiously.

Once in the shade of the building, Rumple appreciated the relief from the heat. It was morning still and black had definitely not been the right choice of suits today.

Belle cocked her head a moment and then led them toward the downstairs.

 

"We need a damned plan, people!" Emma said stridently, "She blackmailed Robin, stole the dagger and ditched us. We need to get our asses back to Storybrooke, I don't give a damn that she said she'd come back so don't give me that look Merlin!"

"Why don't you give me that look instead?" Belle declared as she strode into the room hand in hand with him still.

Rumple's heart swelled with pride. His brave Belle standing up for herself.

He drew an immense satisfaction from the shocked and then sheepish look on Emma's face before the Savior saw her father.

"Dad!" Emma flew into her father's arms and David smiled widely, swinging his daughter around.

"Yeah, kid, I'm here." He set her down, "I understand we have a mission to accomplish."

"You see? What did I tell you?" A tall man in gold edged robes leaned against a pillar toward the back of the room. He looked irritatedly between Emma and Hook before resting surprisingly soft brown eyes on Rumple himself.

Merlin, it would seem.

"Ah yes," Rumple interjected seeing that Emma was about to complain, "my lovely wife keeping her word. I understand I was a rather low priority for you lot. Thanks ever so much." He gave his frown a chance to sink in around the room for everyone except poor Henry who looked stricken and conflicted. On meeting his eyes, Rumple smiled softly. "Enjoying your ancestral homeland so far, Henry?"

"Um-" Henry began but his mother cut him off.

Emma stalked toward Belle having released her father, "So you did the right thing bringing him here and coming back for us, but using Robin to drug Regina and Leroy, stealing the dagger and ditching us here was most definitely not the right thing."

"I did not drug Leroy and I didn't know she intended to steal the dagger!" Robin protested and it did not sound like the first time he had done so.

"But you definitely drugged Regina and gave away our only way home to the Dark One."

Robin turned away and balled his fists in anger.

Rumple basked in Emma's displeasure.

"Hmm," Belle said in a mockery of deep thought, "I should be angry with you for not caring enough about the life of my true love to just let me save him and not trusting me to keep my word, but I have to say, I rather prefer how it worked out. If you had let me go, I would not have been able to save Robin. How do you feel today, by the way?"

Robin said, "Better, thank you, not cold anymore."

"Uh-huh. I'm glad to hear that Robin." Belle said that part warmly toward the former thief, but when she returned her attention to Emma, her mien had regained its frost, "The right thing to do, well that is tricky isn't it? Are you so certain of how wrong I am in this? Regina will be fine. Leroy will be fine. Robin gets to live! Rumple gets an opportunity at life free of the darkness for the first time in centuries. He gets a second chance. And look, I'm back per the agreement I made with Robin to seek the spark and destroy the darkness, once and for all. I don't know, I think I am doing alright so far, what do you think, Rumple?"

"I have never had a prouder moment in my life," he murmured through a wolffish smile at Emma. "And I think," he continued, "that Miss Swan here should be thanking you not only for this, but also for having the courage to prevent the Dark One from killing me," he paused scanning the room with his coldest stare, "after which point it would have killed all of you without the slightest hesitation. That sounds like the right thing to do. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Swan?"

"I may like the outcome, but I don't have to agree with the method!" Emma growled. "I will be more inclined toward gratitude when you put your money where your mouth is, Belle. You said True Love's Kiss would destroy the Dark One? Well, hand over the wand and get kissing."

Rumple felt Belle deflate beside him and he turned to comfort her but she spoke before he could, "I had to kiss Rumple awake last night. And because I had to do that and keep my deal with you, I had to hang onto the curse. True Love's Kiss won't work anymore for me." Emma opened her mouth but Belle ground out, "And if I had sent Regina in my place, he would have died."

Emma closed her mouth.

"Our only choice now is the Flame of Prometheus," Merlin intoned. He certainly did not lack for pomposity. Rumple could not help a tiny smirk at the thought of such a proud sorcerer being stuck as a tree. But Rumple could not bring himself to be too severe on the man Belle said had supported her when none of her other supposed friends had. Except Robin. Well, and Leroy. And Belle had said Henry helped her too. That just left the usual suspects. Unsurprising.

Nods came from around the room and Henry watched everyone clearly feeling out of his depth. Rumple thought he might like to talk to his grandson, if the heroes ever gave him the chance. To comfort the boy and thank him for helping Belle. Henry had a good heart, like his father.

Merlin spoke into the solemn quiet at last, "I think, considering Arthur, that we should all be well rested and prepared for what's to come. Not to mention we need to wait for Regina and Leroy to awaken. And it wouldn't hurt to have a plan for how we are going to handle my wayward protege." Merlin sighed heavily, "No one got enough rest last night, so let's make that a priority. Agreed?"

Belle nodded as did Rumple.

Emma nodded at last. Her jaw looked like her teeth were in imminent danger if she did not relax soon and her veins were standing out.

Rumple was about to suggest he and Belle retire when he noticed Belle looking sadly at Emma.

"Rumple, I will join you after a bit, ok?" Belle looked up at him with earnest sadness in her dark eyes.

"Of course." Rumple kissed her just long enough for his eyes to flutter closed and then reopen.

"Emma, would you walk with me?" Belle asked, looking up at the taller woman.

Rumple excused himself, seeing his opportunity now and deciding to take it.

"Henry!" Rumple smiled at the boy who still sat at the table by himself while everyone else went about making plans for the day with each other.

"Hi Grandpa," Henry looked up and gave Rumple an uncertain smile, "I'm glad you're ok. How's your heart?"

Rumple took a seat on the bench next to his grandson, and opted not to brush aside the question, "It feels different. I have been sharing space with the darkness for so long that I hardly know what to do with myself now. But better, all things considered. But what about you? How does it feel to be in the thick of things?"

Henry's face fell and he looked at the wood of the table before answering, "Pretty useless, to be honest. Maybe that's how Merry and Pippin felt."

"I'm sorry, whom?"

Henry shook his head, "Never mind, I just feel like I'm in the way, just one more person my parents have to watch out for. And I'm not really helping. I thought, after becoming the Author I wouldn't feel that way anymore."

Rumple considered for a moment then said, "No one is useless, Henry, least of all you. Belle says you have been a great comfort to her. Do you know how much a Dark One needs comfort? Support? It's so important, maybe the most important thing of all. Frankly, I owe you one because you were here to care for my wife when I couldn't be. And right now? Right now you're comforting an old man who is afraid for his wife and can do little to help her. That's far from useless."

"Henry!" Hook hollered from the stone archway leading from the room, "Let's go check on the dwarf, see if he's awake yet."

Henry shot a questioning look at Rumple and Rumple said, "Go on, it's fine."

Rumple knew make-work when he saw it and gave the pirate his disgusted stare as Henry got up from the bench and left.

Rumple sat a moment longer before deciding to find a quiet room for Belle and himself. It had been nice while it lasted, but Hook never would let him near Henry if he could help it. Some things would never change.

***

Emma seemed wound so tightly she would shatter if tapped lightly at a critical juncture and Belle could not say she was looking forward to this conversation either. Neither of them had spoken as they left the castle proper and entered the grounds to the rear.

Here, a cracked stream-fed fountain leaked into a boggy mess to one side which the surrounding foliage used to full advantage. The opposite side of the partly full pool remained serviceable so a Belle sat down and gestured beside her.

Emma remained standing.

"You still have the wand." Emma said flatly.

"Yes I do." Belle replied, not giving an inch.

"Give it to me."

"No."

"That's what I thought." Emma proceeded to stalk back in forth in front of Belle. "What is it you want? Why ask me out here?"

"Emma, when you ran out of the shop with the dagger, what was your plan?" Belle asked slowly, as calmly as she could.

Emma stopped, "I planned on trapping the darkness if I could, and if that failed, I was going to tether it to myself. I couldn't take the risk of it being free."

"And instead, that burden fell to me."

Emma nodded, her eyes wandering over Belle's warped appearance. "I thought being the Savior would help me control it better than if it were someone else."

"Emma, I'm trying. I'm trying so hard. And I will get that spark. I want the darkness gone from this world even more than I did before. Rumple and I have our first real chance at happiness. Last night, after he fell asleep, I actually thought about what it might be like to have a family with him without the threat of the Dark One shadowing our every happiness." Belle came to stand right in front of Emma looking deeply into her eyes, "That future is possible! And I want it."

"We both want the same thing, the darkness gone." Emma conceded, "Let's make a deal then. You give me the wand and you keep the dagger. I'll trust you that far because you did save Robin even if I don't like how you did it."

"I'm sorry, Emma, but I can't do that. You assured me you had my back, but when it came down to it? You didn't. You would have let Rumple die rather than trust me, so that's not much motivation for me to trust you." Belle felt sad that it had come to this.

Emma blew out a frustrated sigh, "And I can't trust you either, when things got bad, instead of trusting us, you grabbed power and ran. Which is what we were all afraid of."

"I kept my word and came back." Belle insisted.

"That's true." Emma frowned and kicked the dirt. 

Today Emma wore a tight leather vest over a shirt with full sleeves and leather pants which disappeared into high boots. Their choices in clothing were not so different.

"I would be willing to trust Merlin with the wand, it's more or less his anyway." Belle said at last.

Emma looked up abruptly, maybe even hopefully, "I think that's fair."

"Ok. Good, we can work from there." Belle smiled in relief. "So how should we approach Arthur, do you think?"

Emma gave her a tentative smile in return and jerked her head toward a path leading out of the courtyard. They began walking slowly.

***

At noon, everyone, minus the two sleepers, gathered in the servants' hall again. Emma declined to let Belle arrange for their meal, preferring to do it herself. Rumple, spurning the Savior's snobbish behavior, whispered to his wife about the tea-cakes he used to conjure for them in the Dark Castle.

Tea and the desired cakes appeared between their place settings with a smile and a snap from Belle. He kissed her cheek uncaring who was watching or of Hook's distasteful expression.

Belle said next to nothing while they ate, but she did hold his hand under the table.

Emma, having picked at her food for a while finally said loudly, "Belle and I have come to an understanding. She keeps the dagger, but we give the wand to Merlin. Though, we'd appreciate a ride home when this is all done, if you don't mind, Merlin."

Merlin smiled broadly, "Of course. And did you two figure out how to deal with Arthur?"

Emma frowned and then nodded, "We'll give him what he wants, as much as possible, anyway."

***

Long after sunset, Robin sat at Regina's bedside. He had changed her into her night gown after he had returned from meeting Belle last night so she would be comfortable at least.

"Belle said a day, so you should wake up soon, Regina, my love." Robin murmured to her. He reached out to stroke her smooth black hair. She looked utterly relaxed in perfect slumber. Hopefully the spell had actually provided her with rest because Robin suspected the next few days would be trying.

He twisted the sheets in his hands dreading the conversation that was coming when she woke up. If she would even still speak to him at all.

A soft gasp drew his attention back to her face and he smiled in relief to see her eyes, sleepy but aware, staring back at him.

Then her brows furrowed and she pulled away from his touch. "You cursed me. Why?"

Regina's voice could be cold when she wanted it and he shivered. For all he had had an entire day to plan how to carefully say this to her, he just blurted it out in shame and anguish, "It was the price of magic! I had to steal the wand because you had to pay it or I would have died. I know it was selfish, I could have refused, but another man's life was at stake and I couldn't make that choice for him. She swore you'd be ok, and you are, aren't you?"

"I'm fine. Robin, what are you talking about?" Regina sat up and turned to face him cross-legged on the bed. 

Tears prickled his eyes and her face remained a smooth, hard, emotionless mask. "You asked Belle to heal me, right?"

Regina nodded.

"What did she ask you for as a price of magic?" Robin's gut clenched in fear as he realized he had never asked this question of Belle and he should have.

Regina's eyes widened. "She didn't ask a price. Oh gods, she didn't ask a price and I was so scared, so relieved, that I completely forgot. How could I have been so stupid? Not that that changes what you did to me, you lied to me, but at least I understand it now. What did Belle tell you was the price of magic?"

"She said the price of magic was a life. That if it went unpaid too long, a fury would drag me to the Underworld. She said she had been trying to find a loophole and that this was it."

"Dark One's and their loopholes! She probably planned the whole damned thing! Waiting until the last minute to beg us for the wand so we had no time to figure out something that would work without giving it to her. She used me when I was most susceptible to ensure she had a path back to Rumple. Never trust the damned Dark One!" Regina scrambled out of bed and snapped her fingers to dress herself before she began striding out the door.

"Regina, wait, I don't think that's what happened!" Robin tried to intercept her, but she pushed past him.

"I don't care much what you think right now, seeing as you cared so little for what I thought as to put me under a sleeping curse you got from the Dark One rather than trusting me to help you find another solution. I've got to know what the hell else she has done before it's too late." Regina slammed the door in his face.

Regina tried to ignore the food smell and how hungry she was when she appeared in the servants' hall to find everyone, including it would seem, Rumple and David.

"You!" Regina roared pointing a finger straight at the Dark One who turned her head from where it had been snuggled against Rumple. "You used me, and Robin, by intentionally not telling me the price of magic so you could make sure you got the wand. That's what Dark Ones do, steal power, shame on me for not seeing it. Now where is the wand? You're going to give it back or there will be hell to pay!"

"Regina, good thing you're awake, we've mostly come up with a plan for tomorrow but we wanted your input," Belle calmly stuffed an olive into her mouth and said, as she chewed, "Merlin has the wand now as Emma and I agreed. Just out of curiosity," she swallowed, "if tricking you to get the wand had been my aim, why am I sitting here now, with Rumple and David?"

Regina opened her mouth, closed it again and tried desperately to clear the twin fogs of sleep and rage from her thoughts, "Show it to me, Merlin. Please"

Merlin's attempt not to smile was infuriating, but the smug bastard produced the wand from a sleeve and then made it disappear again.

Belle had popped another olive and she went on, "It's as I told Robin, when I figured out that the price for healing him was a life, I started looking for someway to save him without killing anyone, or rather without you having to kill anyone. Which, if I had gone dark, would not have been the slightest issue for me." Rumple snuggled her closer, smiling with a truly disgusting amount of pride. "But since I hadn't gone dark, I trusted you and Emma to let me help Rumple when the time came. Unfortunately, that didn't work out as well as I had hoped. You're lucky, Regina, that I found a way for you to pay the price of magic without anyone dying. So rather than the vitriol, I deserve a thank you. Now why don't you sit down and eat, we need to refine our plans for Arthur so I can destroy the Dark One once and for all."

With that the bookworm turned Dark One took a knife full of soft cheese and applied it to some bread like Regina no longer existed. Rumple, damn him to hell, was kissing her temple and trying to smile at the same time.

"It's ok, Regina, come won't you eat something?" Robin had come up behind her at some point, but angry as she was, she had not even noticed his approach.

He reached out for her shoulder but she pulled away in time, "Not now Robin, regardless of the outcome, just not now."

Hearing his defeated sigh hurt, but Regina knew herself. She needed space and time, broken trust was a bitch to fix.

Regina took an empty space that was almost big enough for her on the end of the bench next to Emma which left Robin to find a seat somewhere else. She would have to work on that later, but right this second, his hurting, sad eyes were a distraction she could not afford.

"So what's the plan," Regina whispered so Belle who had resumed her canoodling with Rumple was less likely to overhear. The Dark One had just sucked an olive off his finger at the dinner table, in front of everyone. In front of Henry. Gauche. And Rumple looked so sweetly at his wife that he would have dissolved in a stiff rain. Nauseating. But she had to eat, in spite of the unfortunate choice in dinner theater. She snapped and a plate appeared in front of her with what looked edible from the offerings on the table. 

Emma was silent too long so Regina elbowed her in the ribs.

"Ow, what are you, seven?" Emma complained, "Belle thinks the best way to contain the damage Arthur can do and get Excalibur when we need it is to include him on the quest and stroke his ego. I hate it, but I agree."

"I hate it too. We should just magic in there and steal it. The creep deserves whatever he gets considering what he did to his wife." Regina stuffed an overloaded forkful of red-sauced pasta in her mouth and slurped a bit in haste.

"Sleeping was hard work, eh love?" Hook leaned around Emma to grin devilishly at her.

Regina wrinkled her nose at him and chewed. The sun-dried tomatoes were excellent, she had to admit.

"We thought of that, it was our first plan, actually. Rumple and Merlin taught Belle how to turn into a bird, so we tried that this afternoon." Emma noted and chewed a buttered end of bread.

Regina choked and sputtered, after a mostly effective swallow she demanded, "You just let Belle go off after Excalibur on her own? After what she just did to me? Us? Where is Leroy anyway?"

The yawning dwarf looked startled to see the group mostly finished with their meal. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be up at this hour," he said to Regina as he grabbed the first roll he could reach and the butter knife.

"Leroy you've been asleep, Belle cursed you, for an entire day." Regina stated flatly.

With eyes threatening to pop right out of his head, Leroy searched all his pockets. Failing to find the dagger his face crumpled into panic but Belle was beside him before Regina could defame her further, much as she deserved it.

"Leroy, I have the dagger and everyone is safe." How Belle could still look like gentle Belle in her creepy Dark One guise astonished Regina, but her expression stilled the panicked dwarf long enough for her to explain, "I had to save not just Rumple, but Robin as well and since no one would help me voluntarily, I put you to sleep for a day so I could take care of them."

"You make deception and betrayal sound so kind and loving, bookworm. Nice spin work, you should be a politician. I'm not hiring." Regina snapped. "She had Robin curse me and stole the wand so she could go kiss her frog of a husband-" she heard Rumple growl a protest but she ignored it, "-and make me pay the price of magic, which she neglected to mention earlier, so Robin could live. You should be pissed. You've every right to be pissed. She betrayed you."

"That's enough, Regina!" Belle snapped at her, "Rumple would have died if we'd gone with your plan and probably Robin too, and you wouldn't help me so you forced my hand."

Regina was about to retaliate when Leroy grabbed the whole bowl of pasta, another role and declared at volume, "I hate this!"

He took his loot and stomped to the other end of the table to hunker down next to Merlin.

Emma pushed out a noisy sigh as Belle went back to receive love and support from her beloved former imp. Damn him anyway.

"Anyway, Belle did a flyby and learned that Arthur put Excalibur back in the damned stone so she couldn't steal it. That means we have to appease the guy into helping us around his monstrous ego. We need to convince him to draw that frigging sword again. Somehow." Emma smeared some butter around on her plate with her crust.

"Why can't it ever be simple? I mean, I'm so sick and tired of this. And whatever it is this week, it's always his fault," Regina stabbed her fork in Rumple's direction, "Maybe we send him after Arthur, if he wants his lovely wife to be lovely again. Right now, lovely she ain't. He has such a way with people."

Regina reloaded her fork and made good use of the wine goblet Emma had put within reach.

"Anyway," Emma took advantage of Regina's full mouth, "we thought we'd arrange a parlay. Hook's idea." She jerked her thumb at the nodding pirate, "We tell him how vital he is in the destruction of the Dark One once and for all and spout some nonsense about this quest for glory and the greatness of Camelot in the history books if he helps us out."

"Lay it on thick, see if he bites."

"Yup," Emma answered and she stole the uneaten pie crust off Hooks plate.

"Could work," Regina said thoughtfully, "And you figure if he thinks he's terribly important, he'll behave himself?"

"Best we can do for now. It doesn't hurt that we have four sorcerers hanging around and he none." Hook commented.

"And who's going to sweet talk Arthur? It can't be you or me, I'd say we burned that bridge." Regina told Emma.

"We thought if anyone could charm Arthur it would be David, handsome devil." Hook smiled.

"We don't call him Charming for nothing," Regina agreed. "Is there any of that pie left?"

***

David certainly lived up to his name the following morning, but Arthur had none of it.

So much so that he ordered them killed on sight if caught within crossbow range of the castle after they refused to surrender Belle's dagger.

In short, it went swimmingly. To make matters better, a summer thunderstorm rolled in to drench them all where they stood dejectedly in the clearing after Arthur and his knights departed.

It was official, Leroy was not having any fun. His friend had screwed him after making such a show of trusting him and telling him how much confidence she had in him. He wanted to go home. Henry looked just about as enthusiastic. He stood there, off to the side of the squabbling, getting wet and looking miserable.

"Well this sucks!" Leroy declared as he approached the boy.

"Yeah, definitely. It's so fun to read about this stuff, and to write about it, but everybody's yelling and we're all getting wet and I can't do anything to help." Henry grumbled in agreement.

Leroy was about to say something further when they were engulfed in purple smoke and then reappeared, thankfully dry, in the entry to Regina's castle. He rolled his eyes at Henry and was about to walk away when he heard Belle say something quietly to Rumplestiltskin.

"You know what we talked about last night?" Belle was holding his hands.

"Indeed," Rumplestiltskin murmured back.

"I may not be able to get my hands on Excalibur yet, but I can make his life less comfortable." Belle's smile gave Leroy the worst case of the creeps he had ever had.

Gold kissed that smile, "I love you, go, I'll be fine."

Leroy had his mouth open to shout but she disappeared in that light blue smoke of hers leaving her husband to smile with a matching creepy expression. To Henry he said, "I hate magic!"

***

For all the horrors of the darkness and the crushing weight of living under the constant threat of losing her battle with it, this, Belle liked.

She rematerialized in the form of a raven in a tree on the edge of Mistress Tabitha's farm. True to their word, the crops looked to be thriving and she could hear an old woman singing as she planted seeds in a freshly tilled row near the hovel. Emma had told her Tabitha was quite the character and that she had no fondness for Arthur. But most importantly, her farm was far enough away that Arthur would not spot a bird materializing out of thin air. It had worked well on her last trip, and this one, so far.

The old woman had had her back to the tree Belle now perched in and had not noticed the puff of smoke high up in the canopy.

Belle shook out her feathers and launched herself skyward. Flight had taken a bit of getting used to, but yesterday Rumple had insisted that she be able to fly in circles and then land on his arm before she was ready to go on her spy mission. A good thing too, because sudden updrafts and closely spaced turrets were inconvenient and best and treacherous at worst.

The rain continued even though it would seem that the thunder and lightening had moved off to the north. Belle would hate to be struck by lightening in bird form even though she knew she could not be killed that way.

The flight to the castle took a pleasant twenty minutes with the wind massaging her feathers.

A first pass over the courtyard showed a castle readying for attack. The bridge was up and archers stood on all the parapets. Armor glinted even in the grey light of a rainy day. She ignored them though in favor of searching for her target.

It did not take long for Belle to locate them through a window striding down a long hallway in animated conversation. Belle alternated between perching on gargoyles, pretending to preen, and soaring in order to avoid anyone noticing her as she tracked her prey and waited for her moment.

It took a solid hour and a half before the two separated and she could strike.

Belle blinked at the closed window and it opened easily to her magic. She hopped through into a small sitting room with various sewing projects awaiting their owner's attention. Guinevere had picked up an embroidery hoop five minutes ago, now intently focused on it.

The convenience of magic made her feel giddy as Belle executed the nefarious tasks of sealing the door against intruders and ensuring that no sound left the room. Only then did she make herself known to Guinevere by appearing before her in a swirl of blue smoke.

The queen of course, shrieked. Belle hastily tore the sound away for her own comfort. She took advantage of Guinevere's open mouth to pour a tiny bottle of potion where it needed to go. It was over in seconds and Belle released the startled queen.

Belle knew the moment the potion had taken effect because rage melted to disbelief and then grief and then back to anger again all before Guinevere spoke. "I," she stopped, "I don't know what to say."

Belle gave her the most reassuring and gentle smile she could muster without displaying her unfortunate teeth, then she said, "I could not leave you like that after I discovered what he had done to you. How you proceed is up to you, but if you decide you want my help, just call my name three times and I will hear you."

"I am uncertain if I will be thanking you in the end, but at least now my eyes are clear and I can see again. I need to think." Guinevere sat down in her chair quietly with no attempt to retrieve the fallen embroidery.

"I'll leave you to it, but remember, anything you need, just ask." Belle snapped to release the magic barriers she had placed and then transported herself back to the room she shared with Rumple in Regina's castle.

He looked up from where he and Merlin had been in conversation.

"Is it done?" he asked.

"She's free." Belle smiled and cross the room to accept his kiss.

Merlin said, "I am glad to hear it. Any indication what she plans to do with her freedom?"

Belle did not step from Rumple's arms but shook her head, "She needed some time to think things over, obviously, but I don't think Arthur will be best pleased in the near future. She knows how to call on me."

Merlin stood, "I'll just leave you two alone and tell the others."

Belle meant to reply, but Rumple's lips had other ideas.

***

"Why didn't you tell us you planned to go free Guinevere?" Regina growled when she caught sight of Belle and Rumple entering the servants' hall for the mid day meal.

Silence fell and all eyes turned toward Belle. She said, "You already agreed to that. It's done now. Rumple told me how last night so, when Arthur was less than amenable this morning, I took care of it. I should be shocked at your lack of trust, but I'm not."

"And you're not making it easy for me. We need to work as a team if we're going to get this done. Arthur needs to be handled carefully, purposefully, none of this throw a bomb into an ant heap and see what happens nonsense." Regina stood glaring at Belle and she appreciated Rumple's firm hand in hers.

"As your ideas for management have consisted of arguing and talking in circles thus far, I decided to use the time to do something productive. Are you about to tell me you figured out how to get the sword from Arthur?" Belle asked calmly.

Leroy rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

"Loose canons sink ships, love." Hook muttered and coughed.

Deciding to ignore that, Belle addressed everyone, "That's what I figured. In the name of making further good use of time, I think Merlin and I should go get the spark today. If you're agreeable, Merlin?"

"I am."

***

Even under overcast skies, Rumple sweated.

He had been able to sit still for all of an hour after Belle and Merlin had departed. In a work room he had found several spinning wheels, one of which the curse had left in good enough condition to function. Thankfully there had been a whole cupboard full of wool, washed, combed and ready for spinning. The feel of the wool soothed him instantly, soft, fluffy, perhaps the most comforting substance he had ever known. The pillowy, cloud-like texture of the roving took him back to hours spent at home spinning while his toddler played on the dirt floor. The smell of the sheep, the whirring and creaking of the wheel, the twist developing at his fingertips while he drafted evenly with the other hand. Rumple's mind began to settle into the rhythm of the hypnotic work.

But that had not even lasted through a single roving. Spinning, unlike what he had told Belle, was not for forgetting, but for remembering things other than the present trials. His hands had tensed up and he over spun the thread before he had to face the fact that he could not hide here in the feel of wool slipping by his fingers.

Henry had said he felt useless. Well, if anyone were to fit that description, it would be himself. He had little to offer Belle anymore. For now, he was an old man on the wrong side of fifty, give or take a few centuries, and that could catch up to him at any time. No way to know for sure what happened to ex-Dark Ones because none had ever survived. 

His back and shoulders ached and his hands were already cramping. With a frustrated sigh he threw the remainder of the roving down and let it get sucked into the orifice until it jammed and the fine thread snapped from the motion of the fly.

The worst part was that some other dashing sorcerer was off showing Belle the secrets of the world instead of himself. And Merlin was every inch the sorcerer he knew Belle had wanted him to be, strong, brave, moral. Handsome. It would be easy to resent Merlin, very easy.

Rumple felt sure he would disappoint Belle, as he always had. Having a pure heart did not change who he was, so the weak, scared little man would be all that remained after the shiny veneer of surviving the unimaginable wore off. She would leave him eventually, again, when she figured out that he would never, could never, be the man she deserved. But Merlin could be.

He looked down at his middle aged softness and sighed. That had been of less than no importance when he had been the immortal Dark One with the dark magic of the universe his to command. And now? Now a lifestyle of leisure and overindulgence would kill him quicker, as pointed out by the helpful doctors in New York. He could not afford a real heart attack; his most recent experience with such helplessness fresh in his memory. If there was one thing Rumple did not want, it was to die. At all, ever. Now that could not be helped, but it could be delayed.

"Useless!" He muttered as he had gotten up from the bench and left the wheel in a mess.

So he sweated, now, and his arms burned with the unaccustomed effort of sword play. Salt had crusted in waves on his shirt and his hair had long since plastered to his head.

But he could not deny that the motion of the sword and his feet felt good. A dance. Here, he got lost in other memories. As Dark One, he had decided to learn the use of a sword as a way to exorcise his anger over his prior helplessness as a lame spinner. And yes, he had not cared at the time that sword fighting was a skill for those without magic to do a better job of killing when it needed done, but like spinning, it had soothed his roiling mind after the loss of Baelfire.

And now it felt marginally better to be doing something, even if that something was as mundane as exercise with the sole purpose of prolonging his pathetic life.

"Everyone was watching you, Grandpa." Henry startled Rumple but he did not miss a step as this practice had become ingrained long ago.

"Let them watch." He snarled and slashed at the open air before him, "They can have all the laughs they want at the pathetic ex-Dark One fallen so far as to need to practice with a sword."

"They're not laughing Grandpa," Henry sat on a bench out of reach of the whirling blade, "Grandpa, other grandpa, even said you'd kicked his ass."

"I did take a sword to his princely bottom, didn't I?" Rumple let himself smile but did not pause in the form he was working.

"Then they went back to arguing about Arthur, so I came out here." Henry sounded dejected at that so Rumple brought the blade to stillness.

He looked over at Henry, chest heaving with exertion, and asked, "Do they know you're here?"

"I doubt it. They had started in on how Belle was yet again out on her own and if Merlin really had ever put his trust in the right people, so I doubt they noticed my leaving." Henry had is eyebrows up in a hopeful expression.

"Fortuitous they have something so engaging to argue about. You wouldn't want to join me, would you?" Rumple queried.

Henry leapt to his feet but then his shoulders fell and he frowned, "Yeah, I'd love to, but I don't have a sword."

"Well, follow me then. Quickly now, we wouldn't want them to take a break from their row and notice you spending time with the likes of me." Rumple gave Henry a devious smile and clapped him on the back on their way out of the front courtyard.

Regina's armory turned out to be well organized and to have precisely what Rumple had in mind. In no time he had a pair of two-handed wooden long swords one of which he tossed to Henry. They were finely crafted and well balanced. He would have expected nothing less. 

He gave Henry a satisfied smile and, feeling better than he had all day, said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Half an hour's walk from the castle found them in an overgrown but still fruiting orchard. Perfect. Rumple took a sip from his purloined water skin and told Henry to do the same before he unbuckled his real sword and lay it at the base of a heavily laden apple tree.

"I'd guess we have at most an hour before they notice us gone which gives us maybe two hours before they find us and tell you what a bad influence I am, so let's make the most of it. Shall we?" Rumple suggested.

Henry smiled at him and raised his sword.

Rumple took his time with the basic defensive postures and insisted Henry learn the feel and weight of his weapon. They stepped together, side by side through balancing exercises and short sequences eventually stringing them together into longer ones. His face hurt from smiling and his heart ached at never having done this with Baelfire.

At that thought he said, "Did I ever tell you about the village girl I hoped would become your father's sweetheart?"

Henry's face lit up like Rumple had just given him six pounds of gold. "We never get to talk, remember?"

Rumple snorted, "Yes, all too well. Her name was Moraine and she was a smart lass, clever, even at fourteen, all legs and elbows. Three days before his birthday, they took her away to war, but, well never mind that part. After I became the Dark One, the first thing, well, the second thing, I did was end the Ogre Wars and bring the children home. I felt such relief when I found her, bruised, bloodied, but still alive. She didn't even recognize me at first because, you know why. So Moraine, more afraid of the me than the Ogres at that point, seeing as I'd made them all explode into, never mind. Anyway, she didn't know it was me until I spoke to her."

Henry's eyes were shining in interest, "You made Ogres explode?"

Rumple frowned in mock consternation, then in imitation of his former self he flourished and grinned, "I was the Dark One, I could do anything!" Henry laughed and Rumple settled back into the story, "We stood there on the battlefield not quite believing it was all over and I asked her if she loved my son. She smiled just a little and I knew she was going to be alright. That Bae would be alright. I healed her and then, for my first act as a matchmaker, I gave her a new dress and a bunch of wildflowers. Then I winked at her. Like this."

Rumple winked at Henry and he laughed.

Rumple's chest tightened and he had to cough before he could go on, "I led the children home with Moraine beside me and when Bae ran out the front door of our home, to see his smile, it was all worth it. I knew for certain in that moment that I had made the right choice."

Henry's smile faltered after a moment, "So you started out trying to do good? Like Belle?"

His breath caught in his throat at the comparison, and he thought for a moment before answering, "Yes, like Belle, but unlike me, she's strong, Henry, you don't know how strong. And she's brave. I've never known anyone like her."

"I think she can do it." Henry said with confidence.

"Me too, Henry. But even if she doesn't. If she decides to remain the Dark One, she will do better than I did. I know it." Rumple watched Henry's eyes.

"You think she might choose to remain the Dark One?" His grandson looked taken aback.

"Henry, I-" Rumple stopped and then nodded toward the tree where they had left their water skins. After a long drink, he went on, "There are lots of reasons a person could choose to remain the Dark One if they had a way out. Not all of them are bad, or weak and selfish like some of my reasons. Belle could be the Dark One born to wield the power for good, as I tried but failed to do."

"Do you want her to? Do you want her to keep it?"

"No!" he whispered, "I would not wish that on her or anyone I love. But I am trying to prepare myself, and you, for the chance that she might. In the end, it is her choice and she could get drowned by that monster as I did. As I still fear I am. But it doesn't matter, because no matter what happens, she's my wife whom I love with everything I am, no matter what."

Henry stayed silent watching the afternoon wind bend the tall grasses where they were left untrampled by their sword work. "Are you ok?"

"What? Of course, Henry, why wouldn't I be?" Rumple did not know where the question was coming from.

"It's just, you were the Dark One and now you're just like the rest of us. Mortal and you don't have magic anymore. Aren't you scared?" Henry searched his eyes.

Rumple found himself needing to blink several times and he considered his answer a while before he said, "Do you remember how I told you you're not useless?" Henry nodded, "Right now, here with you, I feel less afraid."

"Henry?!" Emma's shout startled them both and she was running toward them from across the orchard.

"Time's up," Rumple smiled sadly at him, "you won't tell on me, will you?"

"Your secret is safe with me, Grandpa. And thanks for telling me about Dad." Henry returned his smile.

"Any time." With that, Rumple picked up his sword and began to rebuckle it.

"Henry! Are you ok? What did he do?" Emma demanded as Henry bent to retrieve the practice swords from the grass.

"Hi mom, I'm fine." Henry frowned at her, "And he didn't do anything, except help me learn the sword and tell me about my dad!"

"You can't run off like that! We thought you had been kidnapped, or killed!" Emma's hair streamed in the wind and she glared in Rumple's direction, "We were half right. Come on, everyone is worried sick and looking for you." Emma pointed skyward and a plume of blue sparks exploded above the trees. "Why wouldn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

"You were all much too busy deciding that Grandma is definitely evil and can't be trusted. You wouldn't have let me go."

"Of course not! It isn't safe for you to be wandering around by yourself. Especially not anywhere near him!" Darling Miss Swan stabbed a finger in his direction, "Who is the first person a fully dark Belle will seek out? Him! Kid! You gotta think about these things!"

Regina appeared next to Emma and said, "Thank the gods! Henry! What were you thinking-?"

Before she could continue her tirade, Rumple cut in, "Well, I'm just going to take myself and my bad influence back to the castle and get cleaned up for my wife, because when she, and Merlin, return with the spark, she may just want to kiss me."

Rumple gave Henry and apologetic look before turning away for the long walk back to the castle.

"Damn you Rumple, don't you walk away from this! This is your fault!" Regina thundered, but Rumple did not stop walking or even turn around.

"No, Regina," he called over his shoulder, "this is your fault for ignoring the boy and not including him. He's got a great mind and a kind heart. You should listen to him on occasion."

"Damn that twisted imp-!" Regina probably abused him further to his back but Rumple had stopped listening or caring.

The rest of the day was a waiting game.

So was the evening.

Each passing hour his wife did not return brought more frenzied planning for how they would get back home with Merlin gone. He had heard them ask why Emma ever thought that Merlin was a good choice to hold onto the wand, since they knew the trip to retrieve the spark was risky. She said she had not been the only one to not think of asking for it back before Belle and Merlin had departed. It continued like that.

Dinner had been tense and Rumple had spent most of it tiredly deflecting barbs as they came his way. Henry's moms had him sitting between them to ensure Rumple had no one to talk to. He did not count the dwarf who mechanically ate his food in sullen silence while Rumple did the same as a potential conversation partner. There was only one person he wanted to talk to anyway. And she did not make it back in time for dinner.

Everyone else had left the hall hours ago when Regina had made all the dishes and food disappear, whether Rumple had been finished or not (he was not). Rumple, left alone, knew he would not be able to sleep until Belle got back so he returned to the work room with the spinning wheel to while away the hours, again.

It irked him that now he had to tend candles and mind torches at night because he could no longer just provide the light he needed with magic. He wished she come back. He wished he were with her, no matter what the outcome. He wished he knew what the delay had been or that he could convince the others to go after her tonight, right now, rather than waiting until morning.

Maybe Arthur had figured out where the spark had been located and had trapped them somehow, though how the rather unimpressive king could trap the two greatest sorcerers he had ever known was beyond even his anxiety riddled brain. But then again, Merlin had found himself a tree.

And still, his wife was out there somewhere and he was not with her.

Rumple untangled the mess he had made earlier and set to work again.

Rumple was halfway through plying the two spools of thread he had made together when the flash of light he had been waiting for startled him from his melancholic revery.

Uncaring of the resulting tangle, he dropped his work and stood so fast he knocked over the stool, eyes locked on the dissipating smoke. Would it be two figures? Or only one.

It was two! They were both here.

Rumple barely had time to open his arms before they were full of warm, solid and real Belle. He did not care that the great Merlin saw his tears as he enveloped her small frame against him and kissed into her hair and any place his lips could reach. After some time clutching each other, Belle pulled back.

"I did it Rumple. And Merlin is fine. I have the spark!" Then she smiled at him, "And I also have Excalibur."

"What? How? Were you able to draw it from the stone?" Rumple's smile would not be tamed.

She shook her head, still smiling, "Let's get everyone together so we only have to tell this once, and then-" her lip trembled, "-and then I can light the spark and we can destroy the darkness."

Out in the courtyard, the clouds had cleared lending a magnificent view of the summer stars and the night was warm and comfortable brought to life by cricket-song. Rumple had offered to help knock on doors and get everyone together but Merlin had had a better idea.

Belle took off the scabbard she had buckled around her waist and laid it on the stone bench. Merlin smiled encouragingly at her but she said softly, "Wait just a minute, Merlin, would you?"

He nodded.

Belle drew the elegant, if broken, sword and held it between them, "I thought you might like to see it before we go any further. Here."

Rumple accepted the sword from Belle's hand with care. A rush of emotion brought tears to his eyes and he turned the blade over and over remembering intimately what it had been like to kill with the other half of this blade and become the Dark One. After a moment, he nodded and murmured, "Thank you, Belle."

He gently handed the sword back to his wife who set it naked on the stone bench.

"Ok, Merlin, go ahead."

The tall wizard gave her a magnificent smile and then threw both hands upward launching fireworks in brilliant blues and reds and yellows with deafening booms skyward. Rumple pulled Belle against him and they enjoyed the spinning patters and showering sparks while they waited for the commotion to have the desired effect.

Which did not take as long as Rumple would have preferred, unfortunately.

The pirate had not bothered with a shirt, much to Rumple's dismay. Even Leroy showed that much decency. But to be fair, everyone arrived in either a poof of magic or in a rush of slapping bare feet in their pajamas to the last. Something about being the only one, aside from Belle and Merlin, dressed for the occasion gave Rumple a wonderfully smug sense of superiority.

Since Robin was the last to arrive and Regina had showed up in a purple cloud, Rumple guessed the poor man still had yet to receive forgiveness from Rumple's former protege. She would get over it in time. Probably. Though he doubted Belle would ever hear the thank you she deserved. Getting around the price of magic when the price was a life without killing anyone was inspired.

Merlin kept up his light show for a few seconds after everyone had come to a halt in front of them for the pure enjoyment of it, if his face was any gauge. When he lowered his hands, he smiled broadly at everyone, "Not only did Belle resist the call to darkness and retrieve the Flame of Prometheus, because of her decision to rescue Guinevere, we now have Excalibur as well."

Belle stepped away from him enough to hold the blade aloft for everyone to see.

"How'd you manage that?" Hook was the first one to get his tongue unstuck from the shock.

"Apparently, any rightful ruler of Camelot can draw Excalibur from the stone." Belle's self-satisfied smile thrilled his heart, "Guinevere confronted Arthur about his disgusting violations and shoved him into the sword. It cut him and he died. At that point, she called me. As Camelot's rightful ruler, she drew the sword and said something about a woman not needing a sword to rule a country."

"We may have stayed long enough to help her secure those less loyal to her in a safe place awaiting trial," Merlin added.

"I guess Mistress Tabitha got what she wanted after all." Regina commented sounding pleased. "So you can do it? You can destroy the Dark One right now?"

"That was the point of the fireworks," Merlin grinned, "provided you are ready, Belle."

With a brief smile up at him, Belle said with conviction, "I am."

She took his hand and walked around behind the stone bench where she lay Excalibur back down next to its sheath. A dagger he knew all too well materialized in her hand and he saw her name on the blade for the first time. Rumple's heart clenched at the sight even though it was no surprise. At least this was almost over.

He saw Belle's hand shake as she put the dagger down next to Excalibur. Rumple put his palm on her back and whispered, "I'm here, no matter what. Always."

Belle nodded faintly and then put out her hand. Not so much a spark but a glowing ember appeared in her palm. 

Rumple caught sight of Regina snatching Robin's hand tightly and saw the blatant look of relief on his face at the gesture. Emma had a death grip on the pirate and Henry also with David standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Leroy had his arms crossed and stood a little to the side of everyone else, his face impassive.

"You can do this, Belle. I have every confidence in you. When you are ready to let go, the spark will ignite." Merlin murmured soothingly.

Belle stared at the spark.

So did he and everyone else.

Belle released the breath she was holding and drew another, refocusing.

Nothing happened.

The onlookers shifted their feet and began giving each other sidelong looks.

Nothing.

Rumple rubbed circles on his wife's back and whispered, "It's ok, Belle. I love you. I know how brave you are, just let go and it will happen."

Everyone waited and Rumple felt Belle sweat through her lacy shirt.

"Why won't it light?" Belle whispered desperately but Rumple did not know to whom she directed the question.

Merlin murmured, "Maybe we should try again tomorrow."

"Alright, that's enough." Rumple called loudly to the gawkers, "Show's over, go to bed."

No one moved to go back inside.

"Has she gone dark? How would we even know?" Emma's voice, though likely meant for Regina's ears carried clearly enough.

"I haven't gone dark, damn you!" Belle yelled and the spark disappeared from her open palm. "You'd know it if I had. I don't know why it won't light, but you're sure as hell not helping!"

Rumple had not heard such unhappiness in his wife's voice since she had banished him from Storybrooke. He pulled her into his arms, "Merlin's right, we can try again tomorrow. In private."

His last sentence he directed at the crowd. Henry met his eyes and gave him a sad smile before he headed back toward the palace slipping from between his mothers.

Belle snatched the dagger up off the bench and then thrust it into his hands, "If they're right and I somehow don't know that I've already been lost to the darkness, you're the only person I trust with this."

Tears had soaked her scales and while Rumple's hand clenched reflexively around the dagger, he trembled head to toe at her words and at the sensation of holding this blade again. "Belle," he whispered through tears of his own which he tried to contain, "It's going to be alright, everything's gonna be just fine. Like he said, we'll try again tomorrow. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise. I'm here. I love you."

She did not seem to care that he was babbling because she scooped up Excalibur glance up at Merlin and then transported them both back to their room.

To his surprise, Merlin appeared a second later, "Sorry for the intrusion, but I just wanted to reassure you, if possible. Belle, take tonight to think about what you truly want, maybe do something, I don't know, life affirming and then tomorrow, we can try again. What you are doing is among the hardest things anyone has ever had to do. I know you can do it when you are truly ready, so just don't give up."

He did not wait for a reply before he was gone.

Belle sagged against Rumple and he held her in silence, while he gripped the dagger tightly. Rumple was torn between feeling he finally had the power to keep his wife safe and feeling that he had become a liability to her because of his human fragility. Anyone could kill him for it and short of commanding Belle, there was little he could do to stop it.

So he held her and traced circles on her back with his freehand while she leaned on him.

"I enjoyed myself today," Belle's small whisper came at last. He did not reply, just waiting for her to say what she needed to, "I was a bird, I went on a heroic quest and then I saved a kingdom from a horrific tyrant. Today I was everything I always dreamed of being. I was the hero from my story books."

Rumple's heart dropped out the bottom of his shoes.

"I did so much good today and yesterday. I saved you from certain death, and Robin, twice. I've always been the one to look up that spell in the library or stay home to cast the protection spell which didn't even keep out the bad guys anyway. I'm the one getting chased and shot and kidnapped, with my heart ripped out on a particularly bad day. But not today, Rumple." Her voice was tight but certain. 

"I am so proud of you," he whispered. "You have always been a hero and always will be no matter what you choose. I know you are equal to the task, no matter which path you take and I will be here every step of the way."

"Rumple, I stood there and watched Arthur bleed out all over his council chamber. I couldn't have helped him, I know, but I didn't want to. I thought he deserved what he got." She looked up at him with a face wrinkled in grief, "That's not me! I'm not a vengeful person!"

He thumbed the tears from her scaled cheeks, "It's not wrong to be angry when someone has done what he did. But I won't tell you that's not the Dark One influencing you, because it could be. See, not all its influences are necessarily bad. In my case, a coward suddenly found the courage to act. When I needed to find my boy, I never gave up in fear." Rumple licked his lips uncertainly, "I vow to you Belle, I will be here with you no matter what. If you choose darkness and decide to cut a bloody swath across this realm and the next, I will still be right here trying to help you find yourself. I will never abandon you Belle, no matter what."

"That was more than I could give you," she whispered.

"I think you feel differently now."

She nodded, "I don't want to lose myself, Rumple. Please, don't let me."

"I will do everything I can to protect you, always." He kissed her forehead and then leaned his against it.

With his eyes closed, she surprised him when she began kissing him. She paused to say, "I love you Rumple! I believe Merlin said something about life affirming, if you can bring yourself to love a monster."

"Not. A. Monster." Rumple stated as clearly as he could around her kissing lips, but he obliged her request.


	5. Act V

Belle could not light the spark the next day, nor the day after that.

At sunset two days after the fall of Arthur, Merlin disturbed Rumple and Belle where they sat under the wisteria.

He pulled the wand from his sleeve and handed it to Belle, "Your compatriots have made comments about the people I choose to believe in, I know, but I don't want you to take their opinions to heart. I believe in you. You could have killed me and taken my power. But you never wanted to do that. I know that you are struggling with yourself and with the darkness but I have faith that you will win your struggle, one way or the other. I don't see darkness when I look at you even though I do see the Dark One. I still don't know how this will play out in the end, but I've seen my own future here, rebuilding the Camelot I helped to damage by mismanaging Arthur. I think it is time for me to return and offer my services to Guinevere in order to right that wrong. If you don't mind my recommending it, maybe you should go home too. Take the time you need to make up your mind and figure out who you are now."

Rumple took Belle's hand gently in his, "We both believe in you, sweetheart, no matter what."

"Thank you Merlin," Belle said sadly, "you've stood by me even when it meant risking your own life. I'll never forget that. But I think you're right, I do need to go home and work this out on my own." Belle scrambled off the bench and hugged the tall wizard tightly. "When will you go?"

"Now I think, after I've said my goodbyes."

Rumple stood, "Merlin, thank you for helping Belle and being there when I couldn't. While it doesn't mean as much now as it once did, I do owe you a favor."

Merlin smirked at him and shook his hand, "I'll let the other's know I'm leaving and then I'll be gone. If you need me, you know where to find me, though hopefully I won't be a tree again any time soon."

***

Three weeks later Rumple opened the door and ushered Belle into the diner for their usual breakfast together.

The whole town knew.

Every day she showed up to the diner with a scaly face was another day closer to her eventual slide into darkness. They would look up, see her face, frown and then go back to their newspapers, their coffee, or their waffles with extra fruit and extra whipped cream. If Belle could have died of shame, by now she would have. Except for Rumple.

He was more than she ever could have imagined he could be. Belle had always envisioned him as the Dark One, leaning more toward her light in the future than he had in the past with each passing year of their lives, but this man, this man was her light.

He still took no guff from delinquent tenants and drove hard bargains when someone tried to extort him, or her now, too. Not that she could not handle those, but he enjoyed it so much that she let him intimidate them in her name whenever possible. She knew he needed to feel useful, to feel like he had purpose in his life and if that meant retaining Mr. Gold's status as Nightmare on Landlord Street, Belle could live with that.

Though he tried to hide it from her, she knew that he was hurting, She could see the panic flash behind his eyes when he wanted magic and did not have it. She knew his right shoulder bothered him more than he told her about and that he could feel his years. Belle still felt torn about how to help him with his suddenly mortal existence after centuries of what she was just now experiencing. But she tried.

She had taken a deep breath and exchanged a knowing look with Rumple before they opened the door to the whoosh of breakfast smells and loud chatter.

They had a usual table which no one ever challenged them for and neither needed to look at the menu for their tea and toast, side of sausage.

Today, Belle told herself she would not wallow in the hurt she felt when everyone surreptitiously, or less so, checked her Dark One or Not status. Today was the day she was going to accept who she was and they were going to have to live with it. She had only tried to light the spark once yesterday.

"Every day that goes by is one day closer to her losing it! I don't know why they didn't just leave her and Rumplestiltskin behind. We'd have been a lot safer with them gone." Sneezy told Dopey, who did not say a word in reply.

Belle began to cry silently trying to hide it from Rumple but it was too late, he had overheard, same as she had, and saw her tears. She had to shake her head vigorously and drag him away to keep him from shoving the dwarf's face into his hash browns. He had done that before.

She took the side of their booth with her back to the rest of the diner, as she did every morning so they could not watch her tears and Rumple slid in opposite her. He was about to speak when they both heard Granny's voice rising above the din.

"-don't care about what her skin looks like! I care what she does. And so far, what has she done? She fixed my sign and charged me free pie for a week as the price of magic. It's like you have all forgotten who she is in favor of who you're afraid she'll be. Did it ever occur to you that it might be that kind of crap that drives her to it at last? We should be trying to help that poor girl in any way we can instead of treating her like unexploded munitions! Now shut up and eat your breakfast. I don't want to hear that kind of talk anymore."

Rumple muttered under his breath, "Who knew I'd ever call Granny my hero? She needs to lay off the History Channel, though."

Belle just swallowed, unable to speak. His hand squeezed hers where it lay on the table.

Before she could figure out what to say, Ruby set their two teapots, one with its empty strainer waiting, and their cups in front of them. "Ready in three," she said, "The sausage just went down, so about five. Good morning!"

"Thank you, Miss Lucas." Rumple murmured his eyes never leaving hers.

Rumple was quiet for a while and Belle stared at the table, then he said, "Belle, I've been thinking. We never got our proper honeymoon. We could see the world, just like you always wanted. What do you say?"

Rumple had a warm glow in his brown eyes when she pulled hers from the tabletop to meet them. He was serious. "I think that sounds better than I can even imagine. But do you really think they'll give us the scroll?"

Rumple leaned in conspiratorially and pulled his suit jacket away from his body and showed her his inside pocket. Within lay a suspicious looking piece of rolled paper.

"You already have it?"

He nodded, "So? Beaches? Ancient cities? Rainforests?"

Belle smiled and it was her smile. Glamouring her teeth had been one of the first things she had asked Rumple about when they had returned to Storybrooke. She just could not stand it. The rest she had kept, though, because if she suddenly lost it, the town would believe she had destroyed the darkness. And if she had not, they would find out eventually. Belle had wanted the day she came to Granny's as her old self to be met with cheers and smiles and hugs. She could not have borne it for that to be a lie.

"Yes, oh Rumple, that sounds like what we both need." She squeezed his hand, "But how'd you get the scroll?"

"Emma. I said a vacation might be the thing you need to find yourself, whomever that is going to be, and that I didn't like how dealing with the likes of him-" Rumple stabbed an accusatory finger at the dwarf on his bar stool, "-every day was hurting you," he told her calmly. Rumple poured the steeped tea into the waiting teapot and then served them.

"And she just gave it to you? Just like that?" Belle did not believe it for a second and she wrapped her hands around the warm mug. Fall had just begun to whisper in the ears of summer leaving the mornings with a delightful crispness.

"Of course not. I agreed to owe her a favor with the proviso that whatever it was could not involve you in any way." His tongue darted between his lips in enjoyment.

Belle laughed, probably for the first time since their return. "I want to go snorkeling!"

Agreeing to this just to see the warm happiness on Rumple's face would have been enough reason if she had not already wanted to go from the second he had mentioned the possibility.

Ruby set their breakfasts in front of them, "Enjoy!"

Uncertainty clouded her mood, however, and though she tried to hide it by buttering her toast, Rumple saw and stilled her knife hand with his warm fingers.

"Tell me," he urged, "let me help you, whatever it is."

"Everyone seems to think the reason I can't light the spark is that the darkness is consuming my heart. But what if that's not true? What if that's not the reason?" She watched him massage her hand and soaked up the comfort he offered.

"Have you discovered the reason?" 

She knew Rumple's question held no judgment, but beginning to articulate such feelings required Herculean effort. "I'm not sure, but somehow, even not-sure seems like a step forward. Does that even make sense?"

"I'd say so. Self honesty is the hardest of all. It's difficult to find and slippery to hold onto, the more so for difficult matters such as this." He paused and she looked away from their hands and into his open face. He licked his lips and then offered, "Maybe the answer lies not in what to do tomorrow, or next week or even on our honeymoon, but in your happy ending. Emma asked me about that when she gave me the scroll, she wanted to know if your happy ending was still the same as it had been. I thought it was an odd question, but now it seems to make sense." He smirked a little, "If you know what that is, go for it. Hell, I gave Robin Hood that same advice."

"Emma asked you about my happy ending?"

"Yeah, it seems your becoming the Dark One has caused our Savior to do a little soul searching. When it was me, well, I am obviously a villain and villains don't get happy endings, but you?" Rumple paused, searching her eyes, "She said she didn't know how to help you, but that if I thought getting out of Storybrooke for awhile was a good idea, she'd give me the scroll." Rumple sat back and took a bite of his toast.

Belle said nothing while she ate through the first slice of her own toast and some of the sausage, though her gut was churning at his question. Rumple sipped his tea patiently until she spoke again.

"What if being the Dark One is my happy ending? I can't shake that day back in the Enchanted Forest. I think about it all the time. About how much good I could do now that I am more than just a librarian whom everyone thinks made a terrible choice in marriage partner. It's what they think, Rumple," she forestalled him with a raised hand. "We know better, but we have to live with the opinions of this town. Short-sighted as they may be. Now, next time there's a catastrophe, and we're probably about due for one with how things usually go around here, I'll be able to do something to help, something real, something substantial."

For a moment, Rumple looked concerned and she was afraid she might have just disappointed him, but then he said, "You've always been substantial, Belle, I have never thought of you as anything other than miraculous. But I understand the sentiment, probably better than almost anyone. I know I've said this before, but there's nothing wrong with power. It's ok to like the power and wanting to do good with it, thinking about keeping it, there's nothing wrong with that either. You can decide to let go tomorrow or never and it won't change my estimation of you. At all. You will always be a miracle to me."

"I always feel warmer, lighter when I'm near you," she murmured.

"I felt the same, when it was me. And I still feel that way now." He stretched his hand toward hers again and she took it, "Whatever you decide, it's alright Belle. I'll be your light from now on. I know what is in your heart and I know your struggle. I'll help you carry this burden."

The noise of the diner faded as Belle took the time to look deeply into Rumple's eyes. In them she saw courage, his courage and for the first time since that horrible night in the back of his shop, Belle relaxed. He was there, she was there and that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all and to all a good Knight! I wish you, my Knight, a warm and bright season with every well wish I can imagine.
> 
> Now for the author's insecurities...
> 
> So how'd my ensemble, multi-ship experiment go? This was an RSS, so there's a lot that I had to let go of, like Gwen pitching Arthur into his own sword etc... I'd preferred to have written those scenes explicitly, but I just couldn't for lack of time. My dear Knight, I hope you enjoyed it regardless. 
> 
> Merry Rumbelle Christmas everyone!


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